Genomic consequences of açaí extraction in the Amazon: Insights into selective pressures, genomic diversity, and population structure

Ana Flávia Francisconi^1,2*Matheus Scaketti²Jonathan Andre Morales Marroquín²Igor Araújo Santos De Carvalho²Gabriela de Oliveira Fornazier²Flaviane Malaquias Costa²Matheus Sartori Moro²Santiago Linorio Ferreyra Ramos³Maria Teresa Gomes Lopes⁴Maria Imaculada Zucchi⁵

• ¹Programa de Pós‑Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
• ²Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
• ³Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Tecnologia – ICET, Itacoatiara, Brazil
• ⁴Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
• ⁵Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA), Polo Centro Sul, Piracicaba, Brazil

Among the most important non-timber forest products is the açaí fruit (Euterpe oleracea). In recent years, açaí production in Brazil has increased by 80.3%. This intensification has been accompanied by changes in biodiversity and forest structure, particularly in areas where extractive practices are prevalent. However, it remains unclear whether and how this intensification has affected the population genomics of E. oleracea. To address this, we collected samples from natural populations in the western Amazon (Amazonas state), where extractivism is lower, and in the eastern Amazon (Pará and Maranhão states), where extractive production is more intense. Using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, we analyzed selective pressures, genomic diversity, and population structure between and within these regions. We detected a higher number of unique selection signals in the eastern Amazon, possibly reflecting the species' continuous use. However, only a slight reduction in genomic diversity was observed, likely due to biological and ecological buffering. Genetic similarity between distant sites and the absence of correlation between genetic and geographic distance in the west suggest recent human-mediated dispersal. In the east, two genomic clusters were identified, and the group with higher extractive production showed signs of isolation. These findings emphasize the need for management strategies that promote gene flow and safeguard genomic diversity.