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Depecker J, Verleysen L, Asimonyio JA, Hatangi Y, Kambale JL, Mwanga Mwanga I, Ebele T, Dhed'a B, Bawin Y, Staelens A, Stoffelen P, Ruttink T, Vandelook F, Honnay O. Genetic diversity and structure in wild Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora A. Froehner) populations in Yangambi (DR Congo) and their relation to forest disturbance. Heredity (Edinb) 2023; 130:145-153. [PMID: 36596880 PMCID: PMC9981769 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00588-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Degradation and regeneration of tropical forests can strongly affect gene flow in understorey species, resulting in genetic erosion and changes in genetic structure. Yet, these processes remain poorly studied in tropical Africa. Coffea canephora is an economically important species, found in the understorey of tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa, and the genetic diversity harboured in its wild populations is vital for sustainable coffee production worldwide. Here, we aimed to quantify genetic diversity, genetic structure, and pedigree relations in wild C. canephora populations, and we investigated associations between these descriptors and forest disturbance and regeneration. Therefore, we sampled 256 C. canephora individuals within 24 plots across three forest categories in Yangambi (DR Congo), and used genotyping-by-sequencing to identify 18,894 SNPs. Overall, we found high genetic diversity, and no evidence of genetic erosion in C. canephora in disturbed old-growth forest, as compared to undisturbed old-growth forest. In addition, an overall heterozygosity excess was found in all populations, which was expected for a self-incompatible species. Genetic structure was mainly a result of isolation-by-distance, reflecting geographical location, with low to moderate relatedness at finer scales. Populations in regrowth forest had lower allelic richness than populations in old-growth forest and were characterised by a lower inter-individual relatedness and a lack of isolation-by-distance, suggesting that they originated from different neighbouring populations and were subject to founder effects. Wild Robusta coffee populations in the study area still harbour high levels of genetic diversity, yet careful monitoring of their response to ongoing forest degradation remains required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Depecker
- Division of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium.
- KU Leuven Plant Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Lauren Verleysen
- Division of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium.
| | - Justin A Asimonyio
- Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité et Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Yves Hatangi
- Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium
- Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jean-Léon Kambale
- Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité et Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Ithe Mwanga Mwanga
- Centre de Recherche en Science Naturelles, Lwiro, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Tshimi Ebele
- Institut National des Etudes et Recherches, Agronomique, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Benoit Dhed'a
- Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Yves Bawin
- Division of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium
| | - Ariane Staelens
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium
| | | | - Tom Ruttink
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium
| | - Filip Vandelook
- Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium
- KU Leuven Plant Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Olivier Honnay
- Division of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Plant Institute, Leuven, Belgium
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