Phylogeography and genetic diversity for conservation of subgenera Meleagris, Masdevallia

The genus Masdevallia belongs to the Pleurothallidinae neotropical sub-tribe, with approximately 12% of the sub-tribe species, which gathers about 5000 total estimated spp, possibly being the most diverse of the Orchidaceae family. Masdevallia is distributed in regions with a wide climatic range in Central and South America², and currently 500 to 600 species are estimated. The subgenus Meleagris has 12 species distributed between Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela, in addition to presenting records in Costa Rica, Panama and Guyana. They generally have an epiphytic habit in humid forests and have been recorded at altitudes from 1250 to 3000 m.a.s.l., these characteristics favor variation, and in particular the opportunity to study their evolutionary relationships based on morphological characters. Given its distribution, it allows us to infer that all species share a common ancestor that possibly existed in the area of greatest diversity, the north of the Andes. Hence it is possible that speciation was allopatric given the rugged orography.

We will reconstruct the evolutionary history of Meleagris for: (1) An evaluation of the genetic diversity present in at least three natural populations and private collections of species in the subgenera Meleagris allows to estimate (a) the best breeding program that boots outcrossing and genetic diversity, (b) the effective size of populations needed to reintroduce species in the field maintaining genetic diversity as a raw material for adaptation and resilience, (c) the cross-pollination strategies among populations within the first six months of the project. (2) Understand its origin and relationships among species.

REPRODUCTIVE ASPECTS AND IN VITRO GERMINATION OF ORCHIDS FROM THE ANDEAN-AMAZONIAN FOOT REGION WITH ORNAMENTAL VALUE AND FOR CONSERVATION

Orchids have been admired for their beauty for many years, additionally they fulfill very important biological and ecological functions within the ecosystems that they inhabit and that benefit society, one of these benefits is economic, since orchids are part of ornamental groups. with greater demand in the floricultural environment. The genera with the highest demand are Cymbidium, Cattleya and Phalaenopsis (Sánchez, 2018).

Colombia has a great diversity of orchids throughout the entire territory, but it has been observed that this wealth is not used (Sánchez, 2018). That is why an alternative must be proposed in which an economic sustenance is generated and also that can conserve and restore those areas that have been intervened. According to Pedraza-Santos (2017), in vitro culture is used, with the aim of improving seed germination and increasing and extending the population of native orchid species. Since it allows to develop a strategy of massive propagation of plants, free of pathogens and at low production costs.

This technique promotes the sustainable use of orchids by using their seeds to obtain thousands of plants that can be commercialized or reintroduced in protected areas. The sustainable use of orchids for sustainability purposes is one of the strategies that are part of the plan for the study and conservation of orchids of Colombia (2015). Additionally, conservation and sustainable use must be accompanied by strategies that promote education and environmental awareness, since the goal of conservation is not only to identify and protect orchids and their habitats, but to discover, develop and support the capacity to use and sustainably manage natural resources.

Here we are monitoring the reproductive aspects of orchids including the germination of seeds with ornamental value present in the Manantial community orchid garden, Florencia-Caquetá for the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.