DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Ecological diversification in the Eriogonum clade (Polygonaceae)

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The buckwheats and relatives (Family Polygonaceae) are a group of more than 300 flowering plant species distributed mainly in western North America. Species can be vines, shrubs, or small trees, and grow in diverse habitats, from beaches to alpine woodlands. Evolutionary relationships of buckwheats are poorly known, leading to confusing classification of these plants. This confusion hinders understanding of how traits have evolved. The researchers will use DNA sequence data to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships in the buckwheats, improve the classification, and better understand how the group evolved. This last goal involves linking the diverse morphologies to the evolutionary history and habitats of various species of buckwheats. Computer-based geographic information systems help correlate precise habitat conditions and species distributions with vegetative traits in order to identify morphological traits of the plants that may have evolved in response to particular habitats.Broader impacts of the project include additional training for the co-PI (a female graduate student), national and international scientific collaborations, training opportunities for undergraduate students and the general public, and dissemination of the scientific findings. The co-PI is being trained in plant systematics (the study of plant diversity), including field and laboratory techniques and analytical methods, and collaborates with other scientists in California for advice and plant samples. Training will include undergraduates as field assistants and will involve the general public through a hands-on workshop on the identification of buckwheats. Data collected in the study will be deposited in online databases for access by other researchers. Findings of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at scientific meetings, and made available online at web sites such as the Tree of Life (www.tolweb.org). In addition, this research will be important to scientists who are studying the evolution of morphologically diverse groups of organisms occupying a wide range of habitats.