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. 2024 Nov 22:15:1487297.
doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1487297. eCollection 2024.

Neotropical palms: from their conservation to economic potential

Kauanne Karolline Moreno Martins  1   2 , Suelen Alves Vianna  3 , Ana Flávia Francisconi  2   4 , Matheus Scaketti  1   2 , Enéas Ricardo Konzen  5 , Maria Imaculada Zucchi  2   6
Affiliations

Neotropical palms: from their conservation to economic potential

Kauanne Karolline Moreno Martins et al. Front Plant Sci. .

Abstract

Palms (Arecaceae) are an important group of plants widely distributed throughout the world. The Arecaceae family comprises a great diversity of species, however, many of them are threatened with extinction due to their unbridled exploitation in search of economically important resources. An overview of palms biology will be presented, with emphasis on genetics and genomic resources of several species, as well as their socioeconomic impact worldwide, highlighting the main advances in recent research. Our discussion also covers the demand for urgent measures toward conservation and preservation of palms since they play key roles in maintaining biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services. Fundamentally, this article is to raise awareness about the importance of palms and to encourage the protection and conservation of these valuable species.

Keywords: Arecaceae; biotechnology; breeding; ecosystem services; genetic diversity; genome; genomics; historical importance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of palm species diversity in the world. Western Indian Ocean - Madagascar, Western Indian Ocean Islands; Continental Asia - Western Asia, Arabian Peninsula, Subcontinental India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, China; Malaysia - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines, Sulawesi, Papua, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands; Pacific - New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Hawaii; Australasia - Australia, New Zealand. The data is plotted on a logarithmic scale. Source: Dransfield et al. (2008).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of palm species diversity in the Americas. The data is plotted on a logarithmic scale. Source: Dransfield et al. (2008).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Graphic methodology. Number of articles per year.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Arecaceae phylogeny at subfamily level with indication of species studied. Adapted from Baker and Dransfield (2016).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Archeological record. Rock paintings of palm tree Mauritia flexuosa (Buriti) from the Peruaçu Valley, Minas Gerais – Brazil. Worldwide records of plants are very rare, which makes the Peruaçu Valley a very particular place. Photo: Fábio O. Freitas/Embrapa Cenargen.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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