Do endemic rattans have lower Genetic variability than their Co-generic and con-specific non-endemic rattans?

Abstract

Comparisons between the population genetic variability of endemic and non-endemic species provide valuable information for the conservation of the endemic species. Comparisons between the endemic and non-endemic species are seldom carried out with con-generic and co-occurring species. In this study, we have compared three pairs of con-specific endemic and non-endemic rattan species at three locations in the Central Western Ghats, one of the global biodiversity hot-spots located in India. We have analyzed the demographic structure of these species across these three sites. We found that overall the endemic rattan species suffered from poor regeneration compared to their con-specific and con-generic non-endemic rattan species. We also used molecular markers to analyze the genetic variability of these endemic and non-endemic rattan species. Our results suggest that, except in one species, the genetic variability of the endemic species was significantly lower than the con-specific non-endemic rattan species. These results indicate the lower genetic variability of the endemic species and have important implications in prioritizing species for conservation