This study aimed to compare the genetic diversity of populations of Solanum lycocarpum A.St.-Hil between natural and human disturbed environments, with the assumption that protected areas have greater genetic diversity than disturbed areas. For this study, two populations were sampled in Goiás State, Brazil. One was located in a conservation unit, Serra de Caldas Novas State Park, in the Caldas Novas municipality. The other was located in a pasture area in the municipality of Morrinhos. The two populations are 41 km apart. We sampled 60 individuals from each population, which were genotyped with five microsatellite loci (SSR). The highest number of alleles was recorded in the population of the conservation unit, where we found 11 exclusive and five rare alleles. In the disturbed area, we recorded only three exclusive alleles and one rare allele. Although we did not observe significant inbreeding in these populations, genetic divergence between them was high (G ST (Hedrick)=0.147 =0.147) for a species with long distance seed dispersal. The results corroborate the hypothesis that the population in the less disturbed area harbors greater allelic diversity. They also confirm the effectiveness of using protected areas to preserve the genetic diversity of the species.
cerrado; gene flow; conservation genetics; genetic diversity
