Genomic Diversity and Structure of Copaifera langsdorffii Populations from a Transition Zone Between the Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Savanna

Siqueira, Marcos Vínicius Bohrer Monteiro; Carlos, Juliana Sanchez; Orcini, Wilson; Bajay, Miklos Maximiliano; Martins, Karina; Melo, Arthur Tavares de Oliveira; Veasey, Elizabeth Ann; Tambarussi, Evandro Vagner; Konzen, Enéas Ricardo

doi:10.3390/plants14182858

Open AccessArticle

Genomic Diversity and Structure of Copaifera langsdorffii Populations from a Transition Zone Between the Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Savanna

by

Marcos Vínicius Bohrer Monteiro Siqueira

^1,*

,

Juliana Sanchez Carlos

²,

Wilson Orcini

²,

Miklos Maximiliano Bajay

³

,

Karina Martins

⁴

,

Arthur Tavares de Oliveira Melo

⁵

,

Elizabeth Ann Veasey

⁶,

Evandro Vagner Tambarussi

⁷

and

Enéas Ricardo Konzen

⁸

¹

Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Avenida Escócia, 1001, Cidade das Águas, Frutal 38202-436, MG, Brazil

²

Universidade do Sagrado Coração, Rua Irmã Arminda, 10-50—Jardim Brasil, Bauru 17011-160, SP, Brazil

³

Centro de Educação Superior da Região Sul, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Rua Cel. Fernandes Martins, 270, Progresso, Laguna 88790-000, SC, Brazil

⁴

Departmento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rod. João Leme dos Santos, km 110-SP-264, Bairro do Itinga, Sorocaba 18052-780, SP, Brazil

⁵

Inova Genética LTDA, Fazenda Santa Barbara, Rodovia BR 251, KM 18, Cristalina 73850-000, GO, Brazil

⁶

Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Pádua Dias 11, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil

⁷

Departamento de Produção Vegetal, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Av. Universitária 3780, Botucatu 18610-034, SP, Brazil

⁸

Centro de Estudos Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos, Campus Litoral Norte, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Tramandaí, 976, Imbé 95625-000, RS, Brazil

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Plants 2025, 14(18), 2858; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182858

Submission received: 2 August 2025 / Revised: 2 September 2025 / Accepted: 10 September 2025 / Published: 13 September 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Plants)

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Abstract

Copaifera langsdorffii is a neotropical tree widely distributed in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Brazilian Savanna. Population genetic analyses can identify the scale at which tree species are impacted by human activities and provide useful demographic information for management and conservation. Using a Restriction site Associated DNA Sequencing approach, we assessed the genomic variability of six C. langsdorffii population relicts in a transition zone between the Seasonal Atlantic Forest and Savanna biomes in Southeastern Brazil. We identified 2797 high-confidence SNP markers from six remnant populations, with 10 to 29 individuals perpopulation, in a transition zone between the Seasonal Atlantic Forest and Savanna biomes in Southeastern Brazil. Observed heterozygosity values (0.197) were lower than expected heterozygosity (0.264) in all populations, indicating an excess of homozygotes. Differentiation among populations (F_ST) was low (0.023), but significant (0.007–0.044, c.i. 95%). A clear correlation was observed between geographic versus genetic distances, suggesting a pattern of isolation by distance. Bayesian inferences of population structure detected partial structuring due to the transition between the Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Savanna, also suggested by spatial interpolation of ancestry coefficients. Through the analysis of F_ST outliers, 28 candidates for selection have been identified and may be associated with adaptation to these different phytophysiognomies. We conclude that the genetic variation found in these populations can be exploited in programs for the genetic conservation of the species.

Keywords: Atlantic rainforest; Brazilian trees; Cerrado; population structure; SNP markers

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MDPI and ACS Style

Siqueira, M.V.B.M.; Carlos, J.S.; Orcini, W.; Bajay, M.M.; Martins, K.; Melo, A.T.d.O.; Veasey, E.A.; Tambarussi, E.V.; Konzen, E.R. Genomic Diversity and Structure of Copaifera langsdorffii Populations from a Transition Zone Between the Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Savanna. Plants 2025, 14, 2858. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182858

AMA Style

Siqueira MVBM, Carlos JS, Orcini W, Bajay MM, Martins K, Melo ATdO, Veasey EA, Tambarussi EV, Konzen ER. Genomic Diversity and Structure of Copaifera langsdorffii Populations from a Transition Zone Between the Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Savanna. Plants. 2025; 14(18):2858. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182858

Chicago/Turabian Style

Siqueira, Marcos Vínicius Bohrer Monteiro, Juliana Sanchez Carlos, Wilson Orcini, Miklos Maximiliano Bajay, Karina Martins, Arthur Tavares de Oliveira Melo, Elizabeth Ann Veasey, Evandro Vagner Tambarussi, and Enéas Ricardo Konzen. 2025. "Genomic Diversity and Structure of Copaifera langsdorffii Populations from a Transition Zone Between the Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Savanna" Plants 14, no. 18: 2858. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182858

APA Style

Siqueira, M. V. B. M., Carlos, J. S., Orcini, W., Bajay, M. M., Martins, K., Melo, A. T. d. O., Veasey, E. A., Tambarussi, E. V., & Konzen, E. R. (2025). Genomic Diversity and Structure of Copaifera langsdorffii Populations from a Transition Zone Between the Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Savanna. Plants, 14(18), 2858. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182858

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Genomic Diversity and Structure of Copaifera langsdorffii Populations from a Transition Zone Between the Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Savanna

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