Preliminary genetic diversity data of two neotropical trees in the old-growth forest of Costa Rica

Abstract

Minquartia guianensis and Hyeronima alchorneoides are two valuable woody species in the Costa Rican tropical wet forest. Little is known about the genetic diversity of these species. Using 20 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers, we estimated the levels of diversity and variance within and among three distinct areas for each species within La Selva Biological Station. Genetic diversity was calculated using classical and Bayesian estimators, and their values were similar. The results indicated high levels of variance within patches (78% in M. guianensis and 87% in H. alchorneoides). We also estimated the genetic distance, and the dendrograms indicated a lack of differentiation between the patches for both species. Our data are consistent with studies of genetic variation in other tropical trees.