Genetic diversity of Castanopsis acuminatissima (Bl.) A. DC. in northern Thailand and the selection of seed trees for forest restoration

ABSTRACT: Castanopsis acuminatissima (Bl.) A. DC. is one of several "framework species", which are being planted to restore seasonally dry tropical forests in northern Thailand. This study describes the level of microsatellite variation within and among three populations of this species, in three national parks in northern Thailand: Doi Suthep-Pui, Doi Inthanon and Jae Sawn, using published primers, developed for Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii Nakai. The five microsatellite loci, employed in this study, detected 54 alleles (n = 72). The informativeness of the microsatellite loci varied from six to 18 alleles, with an average of 10.8 alleles, found over all loci. The mean observed heterozygosity in the three populations showed no significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations. The vast majority of genetic diversity was contained within populations, with no significant differentiation between them (FST = 0.006). Algorithms were designed to capture microsatellite diversity. The rationale for using microsatellite markers to inform genetic conservation and implications for seed collection of C. acuminatissima for forest restoration are discussed.