Determinants of seed and gene dispersal of a tropical palm across defaunated and f...
| Grant number: | 16/18235-2 |
| Support type: | Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation |
| Effective date (Start): | January 01, 2017 |
| Effective date (End): | December 31, 2017 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Genetics |
| Principal Investigator: | Marina Corrêa Côrtes |
| Grantee: | Giovane Böerner Hypolito |
| Home Institution: | Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil |
Abstract Tropical forests are under intense human activities, which lead to fragmentation and habitat loss. Fragmentation results in the isolation of remnants and therefore disrupts the connectivity among populations. The interruption of gene flow associated with the reduction in population size due to habitat loss can intensify inbreeding and genetic drift, reducing genetic diversity in the medium-long term. We will investigate how the reproductive system and genetic dispersal via pollen from a predominantly outbreeding palm (Euterpe edulis) varies in fragmented and preserved landscapes. We will study two forest fragments and two more preserved forest remnants of the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo State, Brazil. In each area, we will collect 30 ripe fruits from 15 palms to conduct progeny analyses. Eight microsatellite markers will be used to estimate the outcrossing rate, correlation of paternity, the average distance of pollination and the effective number of pollen donors. We expect that pollination and outcrossing rate will be higher in the preserved areas than in fragmented forests, because of the larger population size of palms and pollinating fauna expected in the reserves. This project will contribute information on how the genetics of tropical plants respond to habitat modifications by human activities, assisting in the conservation of tropical forests. (AU) | |