Genetic variations and population level admixture assessment for conservation planning of endangered Zanthoxylum armatum DC. in Western Himalaya.

Zanthoxylum armatum DC. (Family Rutaceae) is an important species gaining tremendous popularity owing to its multiple uses in diverse medicine systems. The species is harvested from the wild to meet the demand for pharmaceutical and domestic purposes. However, overexploitation of Z. armatum has imposed severe pressure on this species in its natural habitat. Therefore, there is an urgent need of conservation and sustainable utilization of this species. In the present study, population level admixture and genetic variations among 100 individuals collected from 19 distant populations of Z. armatum was investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA and Inter simple sequence repeats markers. At population level, low genetic diversity (He = 0.298 and 0.346 respectively) was recorded as compared to species level by using both type of markers. Analysis of molecular variance exhibited low among population differences (14 and 11%, respectively) and high intra population variations. The study revealed high genetic differentiation and small gene flow in Z. armatum. Based on the genetic data obtained from this study, we recommend diverse approaches for conservation to efficiently manage this endangered species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on genetic diversity and population genetic structure of Z. armatum from Uttarakhand, a Western Himalayan state of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]