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High genetic divergence and low genetic variability in disjunct populations of the endemic Vellozia compacta (Velloziaceae) occurring in two edaphic environments of Brazilian campos rupestres

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Abstract

Vellozia compacta Mart. ex Schult. is a morphologically polymorphic species distributed in disjunct populations in two edaphic environments of Brazilian campos rupestres vegetation (rupestrian fields), quartzite outcrops and ferruginous outcrops (canga). These environments have extreme conditions that may lead to local adaptation, especially in canga, due to soils that have large amounts of compounds that are toxic to many plant species. We studied the genetic diversity of ten populations of V. compacta to test the hypothesis its genetic variability is highly structured due to the disjunction of campos rupestres where this species occurs, and the genetic structure is associated with the rock type of the outcrop. Populations from ferruginous outcrops presented about half the genetic diversity (average H e = 0.07) of those of quartzite populations (average H e = 0.13). The populations are divided into six genetic groups and genetic divergence among populations was very high (ΦST = 0.559). The high genetic divergence found can be explained by the disjunct distribution of the populations and the different edaphic conditions. The morphological polymorphism and high divergence among populations indicate that V. compacta might be a complex of incipient or cryptic species and its conservation is of special concern.

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Acknowledgments

We thank P. Viana, N. Mota, R. Milagres, E. Smidt, V. Silva-Pereira, and C. Veloso for help with population sampling, and P. Viana and R. Mello-Silva for identification of plant material. This study was funded by projects from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), Brazil. J. Lousada received a fellowship from CNPq. M. Lovato and E. Borba are supported by productivity grants from CNPq.

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  1. Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil

    Júnia Maria Lousada & Maria Bernadete Lovato

  2. Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal Do ABC, Rua Santa Adélia, 166, Santo André, SP, 09210-170, Brazil

    Eduardo Leite Borba

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  1. Júnia Maria Lousada
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  2. Maria Bernadete Lovato
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  3. Eduardo Leite Borba
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Correspondence to Eduardo Leite Borba.

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Lousada, J.M., Lovato, M.B. & Borba, E.L. High genetic divergence and low genetic variability in disjunct populations of the endemic Vellozia compacta (Velloziaceae) occurring in two edaphic environments of Brazilian campos rupestres . Braz. J. Bot 36, 45–53 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-013-0001-x

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