Genetic differentiation of Euterpe edulis Mart. populations estimated by AFLP analysis

Heart-of-palm (Euterpe edulis Mart.) is a wild palm with a wide distributio n throughout the Atlantic Rainforest. Populations of E. edulis represent im portant renewable natural resources but are currently under threat from pre datory exploitation. Furthermore, because the species is indigenous to the Atlantic Rainforest, which is located in the most economically developed an d populated region of Brazil, social and economic pressures have devastated heart-of-palm forests. In order to estimate the partitioning of genetic va riation of endangered E. edulis populations, 429 AFLP markers were used to analyse 150 plants representing 11 populations of the species distribution range. Analysis of the genetic structure of populations carried out using a nalysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed moderate genetic variation w ithin populations (57.4%). Genetic differentiation between populations (F-S T = 0.426) was positively correlated with geographical distance. These resu lts could be explained by the historical fragmentation of the Atlantic coas tal region, together with the life cycle and mating system The data obtaine d in this work should have important implications for conservation and futu re breeding programmes of E. edulis.