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Distribution, diversity and environmental adaptation of highland papayas (Vasconcellea spp.) in tropical and subtropical America

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Abstract

Vasconcellea species, often referred to as highland papayas, consist of a group of fruit species that are closely related to the common papaya (Carica papaya). The genus deserves special attention as a number of species show potential as raw material in the tropical fruit industry, fresh or in processed products, or as genetic resources in papaya breeding programs. Some species show a very restricted distribution and are included in the IUCN Red List. This study on Vasconcellea distribution and diversity compiled collection data from five Vasconcellea projects and retrieved data from 62 herbaria, resulting in a total of 1,553 georeferenced collection sites, in 16 countries, including all 21 currently known Vasconcellea species. Spatial analysis of species richness clearly shows that Ecuador, Colombia and Peru are areas of high Vasconcellea diversity. Combination of species occurrence data with climatic data delimitates the potential distribution of each species and allows the modeling of potential richness at continent level. Based on these modeled richness maps, Ecuador appears to be the country with the highest potential Vasconcellea diversity. Despite differences in sampling densities, its neighboring countries, Peru and Colombia, possess high modeled species richness as well. A combination of observed richness maps and modeled potential richness maps makes it possible to identify important collection gaps. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of climate data at the collection sites allows us to define climatic preferences and adaptability of the different Vasconcellea species and to compare them with those of the common papaya.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the herbaria that provided specimens or collection data. Besides herbarium data, new collection contributed significantly to this study. In Ecuador, the project ‘Conocimientos y Prácticas Culturales sobre los Recursos Fitogenéticos Nativos en el Austro Ecuatoriano’ (1996–2000) was funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGDC) through the Flemish Interuniversitary Council (VlIR) while the project ‘Taxonomy of wild and semidomesticated Vasconcellea species (Caricaceae) in Ecuador’ (2000–2003) was made possible through funds from the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO). The project “Conservación ex situ y obtención de parámetros para el manejo agrotécnico y micropropagación de los géneros Carica y Rubus en la región sur del Ecuador” (2001–2003) included also germplasm collecting and was funded by the Ecuadorean Programa de Modernización de los Servicios Agropecuarios (PROMSA). Included collection sites in Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela were obtained from the project ‘Aprovechamiento de los Recursos Genéticos de las Papayas para su Mejoramiento y Promoción’ (1999–2003), funded by the Regional Fund for Agricultural technology (FONTAGRO) while the Colombian Ministry for Environment and the Research Center of the Colombian Coffee Grower Federation provided additional funds for collecting in Colombia through the project ‘Estudio de la Diversidad de las Passifloraceae y Caricaceae en la Zona Cafetera’ (2003–2004). The authors express their gratitude to the donors of these projects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), Regional Office for the Americas, Apartado Aéreo 6713, Cali, Colombia

    X. Scheldeman, L. Willemen, G. Coppens d’Eeckenbrugge, M. T. Restrepo, D. Jiménez & J. A. Ocampo

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium

    E. Romeijn-Peeters & P. Goetgebeur

  3. Naturaleza & Cultura Internacional, Pío Jaramillo y Venezuela, Loja, Ecuador

    J. Romero Motoche

  4. CORPOICA, Centro de Investigación “La Selva”, A.A. 470, Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia

    M. Lobo & C. I. Medina

  5. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Medellín, Colombia

    C. Reyes

  6. Centro Nacional de Conservación de los Recursos Genéticos, Oficina Nacional de Diversidad Biológica, Ministerio del Ambiente, El Limón, Apartado Postal 4661, Maracay, Venezuela

    D. Rodríguez

  7. Laboratory of Subtropical and Tropical Agriculture and Ethnobotany, Department Plant protection, Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium

    P. Van Damme

  8. CIRAD/FLHOR, UPR ‘Gestion des ressources génétiques et dynamiques sociales’, Campus CNRS/Cefe, 1919 route de Mende, 34 293, Montpellier, France

    G. Coppens d’Eeckenbrugge, M. T. Restrepo & J. A. Ocampo

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  1. X. Scheldeman
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  2. L. Willemen
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  3. G. Coppens d’Eeckenbrugge
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  4. E. Romeijn-Peeters
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  6. J. Romero Motoche
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  7. D. Jiménez
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  8. M. Lobo
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  9. C. I. Medina
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  10. C. Reyes
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  11. D. Rodríguez
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  12. J. A. Ocampo
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Correspondence to X. Scheldeman.

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Scheldeman, X., Willemen, L., Coppens d’Eeckenbrugge, G. et al. Distribution, diversity and environmental adaptation of highland papayas (Vasconcellea spp.) in tropical and subtropical America. Biodivers Conserv 16, 1867–1884 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9086-x

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