FLORISTIC RICHNESS AND EVALUATION OF THE rbcL MARKER IN RIPARIAN PLANTS FROM FOUR RIVERS OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON

Acho-Vasquez H.J.; Torres Montenegro L.A.; Castro-Ruiz D.; Burga Cabrera A.D.P.; García-Dávila C. · Folia Amazonica (2025) · DOI: 10.24841/fa.v34i2.849

Resumen

Riparian forests of the Peruvian Amazon are highly diverse ecosystems, but also among the most threatened by human activities. However, knowledge of their flora remains limited, as research has primarily focused on terra firme forests. This study aimed to identify and discriminate flowering plant species using sequences of the chloroplast gene rbcL. The study was conducted in the lower basins of the Nanay, Yanayacu, Marañón, and Ucayali rivers in Peru. Sampling was carried out between January and March 2022, collecting only flowering plants from both riverbanks of each river. Morphological identification, molecular analysis using BLASTn, and phylogenetic reconstruction based on the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method were performed. A total of 160 species, 124 genera, and 59 families were identified. In addition, 193 new sequences of the rbcL gene were generated and deposited in GenBank. The marker showed 100% efficiency in family-level discrimination and 85.48% at the genus level, demonstrating its usefulness in floristic studies. This study revealed the high diversity of riparian flora and provides new genetic records to GenBank, contributing to the knowledge and conservation of biodiversity in the Peruvian Amazon.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana