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The selection of tree species suitable for restoration in diverse site conditions is still a challenge. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of Dryobalanops aromatica seedlings growing in mineral soil media and peat media. Phenotypic characteristics were evaluated by analyzing the growth performance, leaf morphological characteristics, leaf color, and chlorophyll content, while genetic characteristics were evaluated by using microsatellite markers. The study revealed that seedlings planted in peat media exhibited greater height and shoot length growth, although the difference was not statistically significant compared to those in mineral soil media. However, seedlings in mineral soil media displayed a significantly higher survival rate than those in peat media. Peat-grown seedlings had higher chlorophyll content in their leaves, while mineral soil-grown seedlings displayed a lighter green leaf color based on digital analysis. Genetic analysis indicated a high genetic diversity of overall D. aromatica seedlings (He = 0.635) and unclear genetic structure between the two media. Overall, these findings demonstrate the successful adaptation of D. aromatica seedlings to peat media, positioning them as a promising choice for peatland restoration.

Abstract Objectives Development of sequencing technology has opened up vast opportunities for tree genomic research in the tropics. One of the aforesaid technologies named ONT (Oxford Nanopore Technology) has attracted researchers in undertaking testings and experiments due to its affordability and accessibility. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no published reports on the use of ONT for genomic analysis of Indonesian tree species. This progress is promising for further improvement in order to acquire more genomic data for research purposes. Therefore, the present study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of ONT in generating long-read DNA sequences using DNA isolated from leaves and wood cores of Macassar ebony (Diospyros celebica Bakh.). Data description Long-read sequences data of leaves and wood cores of Macassar ebony were generated by using the MinION device and MinKnow v3.6.5 (ONT). The obtained data, as the first long-read sequence dataset for Macassar ebony, is of great importance to conserve the genetic diversity, understanding the molecular mechanism, and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for downstream applications.

Abstract Objectives Efforts to restore tropical peat swamp forests in Indonesia face huge challenges of potential failures due to socio-economic factors and ecological dynamics attributed to lack of knowledge on the adaptive mechanisms of potential tree species such as Kapur (Dryobalanops aromatica C.F.Gaertn Syn. Dryobalanops sumatrensis J.F. Gmelin A.J.G.H Kostermans). This species is a multi-purpose tree that, commonly grows in mineral soils, but also in peat swamp as previously reported, which raised a fundamental question regarding the molecular mechanism of this adaptation. Therefore, a dataset was created aiming to detect candidates of adaptive genes in D. aromatica seedlings, cultivated in two contrasting potting media, namely mineral soil and peat media, based on RNA Sequencing Transcriptome Analysis. Data description The RNA transcriptome data of D. aromatica’s seedlings derived from young leaves of three one-year-old seedlings, raised in each dry mineral soil media and peat media, were generated by using Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform in NovogenAIT, Singapore. The acquired data, as the first transcriptome dataset for D. aromatica, is of a great importance in understanding molecular mechanism and responses of the involved genes of D. aromatica to the contrasting, growing potting media conditions that could also be useful to generate molecular markers.

Dryobalanops aromatica Gaertn. F. (Kapur) is an economically important timber species in Southeast Asia that can serve as a good model for studying the impact of the Pleistocene glaciations on the genetic diversity and distribution of species in tropical regions. Seven polymorphic microsatellite markers were analyzed in five natural populations of D. aromatica (N = 120 individuals): Gunung Panti in Malay Peninsula, Lingga Island in Lingga Archipelago, Lambir Hills National Park, Limbang and Similajau National Park in Borneo. The level of gene diversity (HE) for the five populations was relatively high with a range from 0.571 (Similajau) to 0.729 (Gunung Panti). The high genetic diversity in the present study could be attributed to the larger refugia population sizes of D. aromatica than that of other species. The population genetic structure revealed two distinct groups: the Malay Peninsula-Lingga Archipelago and Borneo. This pattern suggests that populations in each geographical area might be the consequence of post-glacial expansion from one or two refugia, but that gene flow between different glacial refugia was fairly restricted.

Background Dipterocarpus littoralis Blume is a critically endangered dipterocarp species found only on Nusakambangan Island, Central Java, Indonesia. Patterns of genetic diversity and population genetic structure of adults and saplings in two extant populations (Kali Jati and Solok Besek) were estimated using ten microsatellite markers. Results A total of 39 alleles was found, with two and four alleles being unique in adult and sapling populations, respectively. Allelic richness and heterozygosity was similar between adult (Ar = 3.00; He = 0.423) and sapling (Ar = 3.25; He = 0.441) populations.Inbreeding coefficientsin saplingswere positive in both populations and statistically significant in Kali Jati, while those in adult populations were not significantly different from zero, indicating excessive inbreeding and selfing in the sapling populations. Genetic differentiation of the sapling populations (FST = 0.036) was slightly lower than in the adult populations (0.050), but only significantly so for saplings. Conclusions This study revealed that D. littoralis has low genetic diversity in both adults and saplings. Similarly low values in allele richness and heterozygosity suggest that reductions of population size have been ongoing for long periods in this species. Significant genetic differentiation between sapling populations but not adult populations indicates that recent fragmentation is further accelerating the isolation process.