Tree Genetics & Genomes

International audienceTranslocation of trees has been used as a common method to mediate genetic conservation and restoration of forests. However, very few programs include strategies developed to recover or maintain the genetic diversity of the translocated species. Anacardium excelsum is a tree native to the tropics of America that is extensively used in forestry. In Colombia, restoration of forests through the translocation of native species has regained importance, and A. excelsum has been recently included in the National Strategy for Plant Conservation. Thus, in order to define the level of genetic structure and the level of genetic diversity within certain regions where remnants of the seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) of Colombia have been retained, we genotyped 106 trees using nuclear inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and sequenced two non-coding chloroplast loci for these specimens. Our ISSR dataset revealed the existence of a gradient in genetic diversity within A. excelsum with the most diverse remnants encountered in the south of the country, while the localities sampled in the Caribbean coast and in the Chicamocha canyon were less diverse. Chloroplast loci also pointed out the very low genetic diversity of A. excelsum from the Chicamocha canyon and we propose to prioritize this area within future conservation programs. Both chloroplast and nuclear markers supported the existence of genetic divergence between distinct regions of Colombia, uncovering genetic differences between inter-Andean, Caribbean, and Chicamocha canyon A. excelsum remnants. Hence, we advise to choose the provenance of seeds or plants carefully before translocation and to consider minimal mixing of material from different regions when initializing restoration programs for A. excelsum, in Colombia