Géo Coppens D'Eeckenbrugge

Diversity of colombian Passifloraceae: biogeography and an updated list for conservation

The list of Colombian Passifloraceae was revised, using 3.930 records from literature, herbaria, and field observations. It includes 167 species, 165 of them native, which is equivalent to 27% of the family. Our list includes more details on species distribution and presents 26 species new to Colombia. Passifloraxa0 is the most important genus, with 162 species, whose center of diversity is in the Ecuadorian and Colombian Andes. Inside Colombia, the highest diversity is concentrated in the Andean region, which houses 81% of the species, particularly in the departments of Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, Cundinamarca, Quindio, Risaralda, and Caldas. The highest number of species is found at between 1000 and 2000 m above sea level and the most common thrive in disturbed habitats, such as roadsides, cultivated plots, and secondary forests. Most of the 58 endemic species are found at between 1500 to 2500 m and belong mainly to subgenera Tacsoniaxa0 and Decaloba . Forty-two species produce an edible fruit, and nine are commercially cultivated. Among the species reported, 70% are threatened to some degree and three are considered extinct. Colombia may still house many unknown species in poorly explored departments, but more information about Passifloraxa0 diversity and distribution is needed to develop its economic potential. The conservation of this threatened species along with its habitat is essential and urgent. Because of the species’ multiple ecological interactions with many organisms, both aspects can be combined using Passifloraceae as an indicator of biodiversity in the Andean region

Past and present dynamics of sorghum and pearl millet diversity in Mount Kenya region

Crop populations in smallholder farming systems are shaped by the interaction of biological, ecological, and social processes, occurring on different spatiotemporal scales. Understanding these dynamics is fundamental for the conservation of crop genetic resources. In this study, we investigated the processes involved in sorghum and pearl millet diversity dynamics on Mount Kenya. Surveys were conducted in ten sites distributed along two elevation transects and occupied by six ethnolinguistic groups. Varieties of both species grown in each site were inventoried and characterized using SSR markers. Genetic diversity was analyzed using both individual‐ and population‐based approaches. Surveys of seed lot sources allowed characterizing seed‐mediated gene flow. Past sorghum diffusion dynamics were explored by comparing Mount Kenya sorghum diversity with that of the African continent. The absence of structure in pearl millet genetic diversity indicated common ancestry and/or important pollen‐ and seed‐mediated gene flow. On the contrary, sorghum varietal and genetic diversity showed geographic patterns, pointing to different ancestry of varieties, limited pollen‐mediated gene flow, and geographic patterns in seed‐mediated gene flow. Social and ecological processes involved in shaping seed‐mediated gene flow are further discussed.