Theobroma: Conservation status of a threatened genus. In: Agrotrópica v. 23 p. 101-106, 2011.

Abstract

Theobroma species occur in Amazon rainforest areas, threatened by devastation and overexploitation. From the 22 species described, only half is collected and deposited in germplasm banks, some with few accessions. Brazil and Colombia are the main centers of diversity, with a great number of endemic species. Brazil presents species from all sections excepting the Andropetalum ones, which presents only one species, T. mammosum, endemic to Central America. There is no precise information about the conservation status of the genus. Recently, important crops have received breeding contribution from wild species. Genes related to disease and insect resistance, and to biochemical compounds have been introgressed from wild to cultivated species. The restriction of the natural occurrence of the Theobroma species to the Amazon region, the occurrence of strong incompatibility barriers for interspecific hybridization and the neglect of breeders in collecting and studying wild species make the Theobroma a threatened genus. In addition to that, T. cirmolinae have been cited as under extinction risk in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. It is necessary to develop and disseminate up-to-date information about threatened and endangered species of the genus Theobroma. This kind of information is essential for the management of these important natural and genetic resources. The objective of this work is to review the conservation status of the genus Theobroma. Here we present a partial list of Theobroma genetic resources and an empirical extinction risk rank. Most species were classified as threatened indicating that Theobroma is really a genus in great risk.