Microsatellite analysis reveals genetic diversity of the endangered species <i>Dipterocarpus dyeri</i>

The endangered <i>Dipterocarpus dyeri</i> is distributed in forests of southeast Vietnam, which is expected to have low genetic diversity and high genetic population structure due to habitat loss and over-exploitation. To provide valuable information for conservation measures, nine polymorphic microsatellites were used to analyze 151 adult trees from six populations, representing the natural range of <i>D. dyeri</i> in Vietnam. Contrary to the expectation, this species has relatively high genetic diversity within populations, low genetic differentiation among populations, and suggesting high gene flow. Results of bottleneck tests showed evidence of a bottleneck in the TaKou population. Analysis of molecular variance showed a high genetic variation within populations compared to among populations. Bayesian analysis also indicated two genetic lineages related to geographical distances. These results highlight the importance of conserving the genetic resources of <i>D. dyeri</i> and will provide guidelines for species conservation in Vietnam.