Abstract:
Phytelephas aequatorialis is the commercially exploited ivory palm in western
Ecuador, where less than 25% of the natural forest remains. To determine the
conservation status of this palm, we visited 15 populations, growing under
different degrees of human disturbance in both the lowlands and the lower
Andean slopes. We collected leaf material for genetic analyses, which we hope
will provide valuable information that can help the conservation and
management of this important species. For a first view, populations growing
outside forests in pastures appeared to be threatened because they did not
reproduce naturally. The species per se, however, is not threatened because of its
wide distribution and large populations. Conserving its populations could secure
the species’ genetic and phenotypic diversity, which, in turn, is the raw material
for its domestication.