Genetic Diversity in Casearia sylvestris Swartz Populations Located in Remnants of the Atlantic Forest and Restored Areas

C. sylvestris Swartz, also known as guaçatonga, belongs to the Salicaceae family and is widely distributed throughout the Brazilian territory. The species has been widely studied due to its pharmacological metabolites, thus making it a priority for conservation. It has been hypothesized that remnants of the Atlantic Forest, the most threatened Brazilian biome, retain greater genetic diversity in comparison to restored areas since, the seedlings were obtained without any concerns regarding their impact on the genetic variability of the restored population. The aim of the current study is to understand the genetic diversity of C. sylvestris in natural populations and reforestation areas in the state of São Paulo. We used eight polymorphic microsatellite loci to estimate genetic diversity. The average genetic diversity per population indicates that remnant forest areas Caetetus (0.8685) and Santa Genebra (0.8661) display the greatest genetic diversity, while restored forest areas Iracemápolis (0.8388) and Cosmópolis (0.8061) show a slightly lower genetic diversity. The observed genetic variability differences between forest remnants and restored areas of the Atlantic Forest are not alarming. Nevertheless, if the genetic diversity in the restored areas was low, it could be increased by the introduction of seedlings originated from distinct forest remnants.