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Genetic diversity and population structure of a threatened tree species Afzelia africana Sm. ex Pers. among climatic zones for conservation challenges in Benin (West Africa)

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Abstract

Afzelia africana Sm. ex Pers. is an African endangered tree species whose natural populations are declining severely because of human pressure through logging, fodder, and fuel harvesting. Despite the importance of molecular ecology in these decades, no information regarding population genetics is available to motivate the conservation of this tree species in Benin. This study was then carried out to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of A. afrcana from different zones by SSR markers analysis to infer conservation implications. Two hundred sixty-four split into twenty-six populations were sampled in the three climatic zones and genotyped at 11 SSR loci measuring genetic diversity and population structure analysis. High levels of genetic diversity were found over the three zones. Mean values of observed/expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.81 to 0.88 and from 0.75 to 0.77, respectively. The pattern of population structure revealed by SSR loci indicated three gene pools in North-West, North-East, and South Benin. The population of the Sudano-Guinean zone exchanges gene with the other zones. We observed a weak but statistically significant genetic differentiation among geographical zones regarding the values of Fst (Value = 0.028; p = 0.001). Significant isolation by distance was obtained with the Mantel test. The observed pattern of population and genetic diversity by SSR loci offers useful insights to guide sustainable management and conservation decision of A. africana populations in different climatic zones of Benin.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Georg Forster Research Fellowship (HERMES) Ref 3.4—BEN—1163520—GFHERMES-P of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for funding this research. We recognize also the financial support provided by the return fellowship BEN 1163520 GFHERMES-P-BMZ and the IsDB-TWAS postdoctoral fellowship program (Agreement number 16/2020, vendor number 506995) during the data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ecology, Botany and Plant Biology, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, 03 BP 125, Parakou, Republic of Benin

    Thierry D. Houehanou & Gérard Gouwakinnou

  2. Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey Calavi, 01 BP 526, Cotonou, Republic of Benin

    Thierry D. Houehanou, Gérard Gouwakinnou & Achille E. Assogbadjo

  3. Institute for Ecology and Evolution, Department for Systematic Botany With Hausknecht Herbarium and Botanical Garden, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 16, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Kathleen Prinz & Frank Hellwig

  4. Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d’Estimations Forestières, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d’Abomey Calavi, 04 BP 1525, Cotonou, Republic of Benin

    Thierry D. Houehanou & Romain L. Glele Kakaï

  5. Laboratoire de Biotechnologies Végétale et Microbienne/UMRI Sciences Agronomiques et Génie Rural, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny, BP 1093, Yamoussokro, Côte d’Ivoire

    Dominique Koua, Anicet Ebou & Adolphe Zézé

  6. Laboratoire de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique/UMRI Sciences Agronomiques et Génie Rural, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny, BP 1093, Yamoussokro, Côte d’Ivoire

    Dominique Koua & Anicet Ebou

  7. Landschaftspflegeverband, Suedharz/Kyffhaeuser e.V, Uthleber Straße 24, 99734 Nordhausen, Germany

    Kathleen Prinz

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  1. Thierry D. Houehanou
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  2. Kathleen Prinz
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  3. Dominique Koua
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  4. Frank Hellwig
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  7. Achille E. Assogbadjo
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  9. Adolphe Zézé
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Contributions

Thierry Houehanou designed and implemented overall the research. Kathleen Prinz and Frank Hellwig helped during the research design and implementation and edited the draft manuscript. All other authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

The UPGMA dendrogram implemented on genetic distance in DARwin for 264 individuals of A. africana in the three climatic zones of Benin. Red: Sudanian zone, Green: Sudano Guinean zone, Blue: Guineo Congolean zone.

figure a

Appendix 2

F-Statistics parameters associated to the analysis of molecular Variance

$$\begin{aligned} {\text{Frt }} & = {\text{ AR}}/\left( {{\text{WI }} + {\text{ AI }} + {\text{ AP }} + {\text{ AR}}} \right) = {\text{ AR}}/{\text{TOT}} \\ {\text{Fsr }} & = {\text{ AP}}/\left( {{\text{WI }} + {\text{ AI }} + {\text{ AP}}} \right) \\ {\text{Fst }} & = \left( {{\text{AP }} + {\text{ AR}}} \right)/\left( {{\text{WI }} + {\text{ AI }} + {\text{ AP }} + {\text{ AR}}} \right) = \left( {{\text{AP }} + {\text{ AR}}} \right)/{\text{TOT}} \\ {\text{Fis }} & = {\text{ AI }}/\left( {{\text{WI }} + {\text{ AI}}} \right) \\ {\text{Fit }} & = \left( {{\text{AI }} + {\text{ AP }} + {\text{ AR}}} \right)/\left( {{\text{WI }} + {\text{ AI }} + {\text{ AP }} + {\text{ AR}}} \right) = \left( {{\text{AI }} + {\text{ AP }} + {\text{ AR}}} \right)/{\text{TOT}} \\ \end{aligned}$$

AR = Est. Var. Among Regions, AP = Est. Var. Among Pops, AI = Est. Var. Among Individuals, WI = Est. Var. Within Individuals.

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Houehanou, T.D., Prinz, K., Koua, D. et al. Genetic diversity and population structure of a threatened tree species Afzelia africana Sm. ex Pers. among climatic zones for conservation challenges in Benin (West Africa). Genet Resour Crop Evol 70, 1617–1632 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-022-01523-2

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