Use of Molecular Markers in the Conservation Management of Tropical Trees

Abstract

Thousands of tropical tree species provide timber, fuel, food, fodder and other ecosystem services for local and global communities. Yet, knowledge about the status and trends of tropical tree genetic diversity, which provides the basis for conservation and sustainability, remains limited. Nevertheless, the number of molecular studies is rapidly increasing thanks to technological advances and reduced costs. DNA markers provide ways to identify species or describe the genetic diversity of populations that can be used for gene conservation and restoration programs. Increasingly, molecular methods are also being used to identify the origin of timber to help combat illegal logging. Technical developments are also facilitating studies of adaptive traits, with expressed gene analysis offering real potential for detecting adaptive genetic diversity. Combining information from molecular studies with ecological and socioeconomic information related to, for instance, current and predicted species distribution, protected area networks or competing land use demands, enables the identification of the most suitable gene conservation, management or restoration strategies for each species. In this chapter we review advances in the development and application of molecular markers in conservation planning, landscape restoration and DNA forensics of tropical tree species, and discuss future directions.