Paleoecology of Angiosperm Climbers: Indicators of Climate, Forest Structural Diversity, and Disturbance

9316316伯纳姆PI将调查现代和化石被子植物攀登者（藤本植物）。目的是确定攀缘被子植物科的诊断性叶片特征，将攀缘植物的多样性、丰度和形态与基本的气候、栖息地和森林结构特征联系起来，并利用这些系统学和生态学特征来表征北美西部早第三纪两个不同地点的森林栖息地（NM的古新世Raton组；WA的始新世Puget组）。对现代遗址的研究包括在中美洲和南美洲的实地工作。研究结果将对植物群落进化研究具有重要意义，对森林砍伐和全球气候变化对植被的影响具有重要意义。

9316316 Burnham PI will investigate modern and fossil angiosperm climbers (lianas). Objectives are to determine the diagnostic foliage characteristics of climbing angiosperm families, to correlate basic climatic, habitat, and forest structure characteristics with climber diversity, abundance, and morphology, and to use these features of systematics and ecology to characterize the forested habitats of two distinct sites in the early Tertiary of western North America (Paleocene Raton Formation, NM; Eocene Puget Group, WA). Studies of modern sites include field work in Central and South America. Results will be important to studies of plant community evolution, with implications for the impact of deforestation and global climate change on vegetation.