GENETIC DIVERSITY EVALUATION OF Cinnamomum parthenoxylon (Jack) MEISN IN SOME NATURE RESERVES IN NORTH VIETNAM USING SSR MARKERS

Abstract

Cinnamomum parthenoxylon (Jack) Meisn is one of the valuable wood trees indigenous to the lowland tropical forests of Vietnam, which is in danger of extinction due to habitat fragmentation and overexploitation. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of this species has not been investigated to date. This study evaluated the genetic diversity in five natural populations from 101 individuals representing the C. parthenoxylon distribution range in natural reserves in North Vietnam using nine SSR markers. All of the nine loci showed polymorphic. Genetic diversity in population level was moderate (Na = 3.82; Ne = 2.23; I = 0.9, He = 0.38 and Ho = 0.5). The lowest levels of genetic diversity were detected in the Quang Ninh population (Ho = 0.32, He = 0.0.47), and the highest levels were detected in the Vinh Phuc population (Ho = 0.46, He = 0.52). Analysis of molecular variance determined a significant 66% of genetic variation within individuals. All five populations were a positive inbreeding coefficient (Fis > 0). These results revealed the excess of homozygotes and deficiency of heterozygotes in all populations. Cluster analysis using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA) with genetic similarity coefficients indicated that two genetic clusters were significantly correlated with the geographical distributions. Group I included individuals collecting from two provinces (Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh), while group II included plants from 3 areas (Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, and Quang Ninh). Our results provide valuable information for further studies in the conservation, management, and restoration of this species.