University of Isfahan Taxonomy and Biosystematics 3115-9001 17 65 2025 12 22 Genetic Relationships Among Ecotypes of Suaeda vermiculata in Saline Environments of Khuzestan Province (Iran) Using Multi-Marker Approaches Genetic Relationships Among Ecotypes of Suaeda vermiculata in Saline Environments of Khuzestan Province (Iran) Using Multi-Marker Approaches 47 58 29861 10.22108/tbj.2025.145965.1312 EN Rezvan Loveimi M.Sc. Graduate, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran Fatemeh Nasernakhaei Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran, Seyyed Mohsen Sohrabi Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. Journal Article 2025 07 15 <em>Suaeda vermiculata</em> is a halophytic shrub that plays a key ecological role in saline habitats of Khuzestan Province, Iran. Its genetic variation across regional ecotypes remains poorly understood. In this study, 27 representative ecotypes from northern (n = 19) and southern (n = 8) Khuzestan were analyzed using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers. ISSR primers revealed broad genome-wide polymorphism, whereas SCoT markers provided higher resolution at the ecotype level. Genetic diversity indices, including Nei’s gene diversity (h) and Shannon’s information index (I), indicated higher allelic richness in northern ecotypes, with minor local variation in southern ones. Cluster and principal coordinate analyses revealed only weak geographic differentiation among ecotypes. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that over 90% of genetic variation is distributed within regions. The statistically significant PhiPT values for both markers revealed weak but meaningful regional structuring. These findings highlight the complementary value of ISSR and SCoT markers for studying genetic patterns in halophytes. From a conservation perspective, preserving multiple ecotypes from both northern and southern Khuzestan is important to safeguard evolutionary potential and adaptive capacity in heterogeneous saline environments. https://tbj.ui.ac.ir/article_29861_0fd9ccc3ab8a6ac48752fc07ef8c9e56.pdf