ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC STRUCTURE OF THE ENDANGERED FOREST SPECIES BOSWELLIA SERRATA POPULATION IN CENTRAL INDIA

Boswellia serrata, a commercially important species for its pulp and pharmaceutical properties was sampled from three locations representing its natural distribution in central India for genetic characterisation through 56 RAPD + 42 ISSR loci. The wood fibre dimensions measured for morphometric characterisation confirmed 11.36% variation in length and 8.75% variation in width, indicating its fitness for local adaptation. Bayesian and non-Bayesian approach based diversity measures resulted moderately within population gene diversity (0.26 ± 0.17), Shannon’s information index (0.40 ± 0.22) and panmictic heterozygosity (0.28 ± 0.01). A high estimate for genetic differentiation measures i.e. GST (0.31), GST-B (0.33 ± 0.02) and θ-II (0.45) led to distinct clusters of sampled genotypes, representing their regional variability due to limited gene flow and total absence of natural regeneration. This study reports the first investigation of the species for its molecular characterisation emphasising the urgent need for a genetic improvement program for in-situ/ex-situ conservation and sustainable commercialisation.