XVI International Botanical Congess

Plans to conserve the genetic diversity of remnant tropical plants must consider local population genetic processes along with the genetic structure of populations over their full range. In this study remnant and continuous forest populations of the Amazonian tree Dinizia excelsa (Fabaceae) were evaluated with regard to pollinator changes, reproductive output, and pollen flow across a fragmented landscape. In isolated trees native pollinators were largely replaced by exotic honeybees. Reproductive output was higher in the remnant populations. A microsatellite-based paternity analysis of seeds revealed frequent pollinations between trees separated by over 2 km of open pasture. Results from D. excelsa and similar studies indicate that isolated trees play an important role in maintaining the genetic integrity of larger populations and should