A Preliminary Assessment of the Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Guava, Psidium guajava, in San Cristobal

Torres, María de Lourdes; Gutiérrez, Bernardo

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-67177-2_1

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Most Psidium fruits are fleshy berries that have a strong sweet scent and are externally yellow or green. Today, guava seeds may be dispersed effectively by birds and mammals (e.g., bats, monkeys, ungulates, marsupials) ( Gressler et al, 2006 ; Torres and Gutiérrez, 2018 ). Some studies have shown that domestic ungulates can disperse between 18,000 and 49,000 guava seeds per day during the fruiting peak ( Somarriba, 1985 , 1986 ; Herrera, 2013 ).…”

Section: Natural History Of Psidium Guajavamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Taming of Psidium guajava: Natural and Cultural History of a Neotropical Fruit

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Guava (Psidium guajava L., Myrtaceae) is a Neotropical fruit that is widely consumed around the world. However, its evolutionary history and domestication process are unknown. Here we examine available ecological, taxonomic, genetic, archeological, and historical evidence about guava. Guava needs full sunlight, warm temperatures, and well-distributed rainfall throughout the year to grow, but tolerates drought. Zoochory and anthropochory are the main forms of dispersal. Guava’s phylogenetic relationships with other species of the genus Psidium are unclear. A group of six species that share several morphological characteristics are tentatively accepted as the Psidium guajava complex. DNA analyses are limited to the characterization of crop genetic diversity within localities and do not account for possible evolutionary and domestication scenarios. A significant amount of archeological information exists, with a greater number and older records in South America than in Mesoamerica, where there are also numerous historical records. From this information, we propose that: (1) the guava ancestor may have originated during the Middle or Late Miocene, and the savannas and semi-deciduous forests of South America formed during the Late Pleistocene would have been the most appropriate ecosystems for its growth, (2) the megafauna were important dispersers for guava, (3) dispersal by humans during the Holocene expanded guava’s geographic range, including to the southwestern Amazonian lowlands, (4) where its domestication may have started, and (5) with the European conquest of the Neotropics, accompanied by their domestic animals, new contact routes between previously remote guava populations were established. These proposals could direct future research on the evolutionary and domestication process of guava.

show abstract

Section: Natural History Of Psidium Guajavamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Taming of Psidium guajava: Natural and Cultural History of a Neotropical Fruit

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Moreover, these islands also sustain agricultural areas in their highlands, where local-scale cultivation and animal husbandry activities are developed. San Cristobal contains the largest agricultural area relative to its size, occupying the majority of its humid highlands (Rivas- Torres et al, 2018), and one of the oldest permanent settlements in the archipelago established during the second half of the XIX century (Latorre, 1997;Lundh, 2004). These events could have affected the guayabillo populations disproportionately when compared to the other islands.…”

Section: Genetic Diversity In Guayabillo and Its Contributing Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Santa Cruz was colonized more recently by humans, producing a milder historical disturbance (Kricher, 2006;Parque Nacional Galapagos, 2016), although it currently hosts a larger human population (Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos, 2016). On the other hand, Isabela sustains the smallest agricultural area in proportion to island size (Rivas- Torres et al, 2018) and the smallest human population (Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos, 2016). A direct effect of these anthropogenic activities is the fragmentation of habitats which can lead to genetic drift (Frankham et al, 2010), endogamy and inbreeding depression (Wright, 1951;Frankham, 1998;Nielsen, 2004), and could partially explain the higher within-island FST value observed for the San Cristobal population (Table 2).…”

Section: Genetic Diversity In Guayabillo and Its Contributing Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…interspecific hybrids (Torres and Gutiérrez, 2018). This phenomenon can lead to genetic erosion, outbreeding depression, and genetic swamping in the guayabillo (López-Caamal et al, 2014;Ellstrand and Rieseberg, 2016;Chafin et al, 2019) while enriching the currently low genetic diversity of the guava populations of the Galapagos, further enhancing its invasive potential (Urquía et al, 2019).…”

Section: Genetic Diversity In Guayabillo and Its Contributing Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For this reason, the introduction of exotic species is of great concern in insular ecosystems like the Galapagos (Whittaker, 1998;Tye et al, 2007). The common guava (Psidium guajava), for example, is an invasive species that shares some of the same ecosystems with guayabillo, raising the potential risk of guava populations outcompeting or forming interspecific hybrids with its endemic relative (which could cause genetic erosion) (Torres and Gutiérrez, 2018). Similarly, the Galapagos flora in general is threatened by destructive grazers such as goats and feral livestock; these animals have already caused an impact for several endemic species in the islands such as Calandrina galapagosa, S. affinis and G. leucantha (Nielsen, 2004;Jaramillo et al, 2011;Guzmán et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Understanding the genetic diversity of the guayabillo (Psidium galapageium), an endemic plant of the Galapagos Islands

Urquía

Pozo

Gutierrez

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Oceanic archipelagos are known to host a variety of endemic plant species. The genetic diversity and structure of these species is an important indicator of their evolutionary history and can inform appropriate conservation strategies that mitigate the risks to which they’re exposed, including invasive species and environmental disturbances. A comprehensive consideration of the role of their natural history, as well as the landscape features and the geological history of the islands themselves is required to adequately understand any emerging patterns. Such is the case for the guayabillo (Psidium galapageium), an understudied endemic plant from the Galapagos Islands with important ecological and economic roles. In this study we designed and evaluated 13 informative SSR markers and used them to investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and connectivity of the guayabillo populations from San Cristobal, Isabela and Santa Cruz islands. A total of 208 guayabillo individuals were analyzed, revealing a strong population structure between islands and two distinct genetic lineages for the Santa Cruz population. Overall, the guayabillo genetic diversity is relatively high, an unusual pattern for an insular endemic species which is possibly explained by its polyploidy and the geographical features of the islands. These include their broad altitudinal ranges and habitat heterogeneity. For populations displaying a lower genetic diversity such as San Cristobal, the history of human disturbance could be an important factor explaining these observations. Some similarities between individuals in Santa Cruz and the San Cristobal population could be explained by population differentiation or distinct natural histories of separate lineages. Our findings highlight the complex population dynamics that shape the genetic diversity of species like the guayabillo and emphasize the need to explore the currently unresolved questions about this Galapagos endemic plant.

show abstract

Preliminary insights of the genetic diversity and invasion pathways of Cedrela odorata in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Albuja‐Quintana,

Rivas‐Torres,

Rojas López

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cedrela odorata is considered the second most invasive tree species of the Galapagos Islands. Although it is listed in CITES Appendix II and there are population losses in mainland Ecuador, in Galapagos it is paradoxically a species of concern due to its invasive potential. Genetic studies can shed light on the invasion history of introduced species causing effects on unique ecosystems like the Galapagos. We analyzed nine microsatellite markers in C. odorata individuals from Galapagos and mainland Ecuador to describe the genetic diversity and population structure of C. odorata in the Galapagos and to explore the origin and invasion history of this species. The genetic diversity found for C. odorata in Galapagos (He = 0.55) was lower than reported in the mainland (He = 0.81), but higher than other invasive insular plant species, which could indicate multiple introductions. Our results suggest that Ecuador's northern Coastal region is the most likely origin of the Galapagos C. odorata, although further genomic studies, like Whole Genome Sequencing, Rad‐Seq, and/or Whole Genome SNP analyses, are needed to confirm this finding. Moreover, according to our proposed pathway scenarios, C. odorata was first introduced to San Cristobal and/or Santa Cruz from mainland Ecuador. After these initial introductions, C. odorata appears to have arrived to Isabela and Floreana from either San Cristobal or Santa Cruz. Here, we report the first genetic study of C. odorata in the Galapagos and the first attempt to unravel the invasion history of this species. The information obtained in this research could support management and control strategies to lessen the impact that C. odorata has on the islands' local flora and fauna.

show abstract

A Preliminary Assessment of the Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Guava, Psidium guajava, in San Cristobal

Cited by 7 publications

References 26 publications

The Taming of Psidium guajava: Natural and Cultural History of a Neotropical Fruit

The Taming of Psidium guajava: Natural and Cultural History of a Neotropical Fruit

Understanding the genetic diversity of the guayabillo (Psidium galapageium), an endemic plant of the Galapagos Islands

Preliminary insights of the genetic diversity and invasion pathways of Cedrela odorata in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About