REVSYS: Systematics and Evolution of the "Pacific Rim Clade" of Sphagnum section Subsecunda

这项提案资助了对泥炭藓属（也称为泥炭藓）的分类和多样化的研究。 这项研究的重点是泥炭藓的一个谱系，主要发生在“环太平洋”地区，从加州北部到阿拉斯加，南部到日本和中国，包括大约15-20个物种。 这项工作使用来自DNA序列和高度可变的微卫星基因的数据来确定有多少物种以及如何区分它们。 一系列的假设是要解决，澄清确切地说，个别物种生长，植物如何繁殖，以及频率和效率的有性和无性繁殖。 其中一项成果将是对环太平洋泥炭藓物种进行彻底的分类学处理，并提供插图和其他资源，以便准确识别物种。 该提案还资助了有关泥炭藓物种识别的研讨会，目标是进行植被调查的湿地生态学家和业余科学家，其中许多人为环保非政府组织工作。泥炭藓占主导地位的泥炭地对全球气候，区域水文以及许多其他生物，植物，动物和微生物的发生有着深远的影响。生态系统功能（生产力，分解，矿物质和营养物质的运动）是由那里出现的物种套件决定的，最近的地球化学研究表明，不同的泥炭藓物种具有显着不同的化学和其他属性，影响泥炭地功能。 因此，明确物种的环境对于了解其生态影响至关重要。 这项研究使用现代分子方法，加上实地和基于生物学的研究，提供了一个健全的分类学处理，对评估泥炭藓在全球生物圈中的作用至关重要。

This proposal funds research on the taxonomy and diversification of the moss genus Sphagnum, also known as peat mosses. The research focuses on a lineage of peat mosses that occur primarily in the "Pacific Rim" region from California north to Alaska and south to Japan and China, and includes about 15-20 species. The work uses data from DNA sequences and highly variable microsatellite genes to determine how many species there are and how to tell them apart. A series of hypotheses are to be addressed, clarifying exactly where individual species grow, how the plants reproduce, and the frequency and efficacy of sexual and asexual reproduction. One outcome will be a thorough taxonomic treatment for the Pacific Rim species of Sphagnum, with illustrations and other resources to permit accurate identifications of species. The proposal also funds workshops on identification of Sphagnum species, targeting wetland ecologists doing vegetation surveys and amateur scientists, many of whom work for environmental NGOs.Sphagnum-dominated peatlands have profound effects on global climate, regional hydrology, and the occurrence of many other organisms, plant, animal, and microbial. Ecosystem function (productivity, decomposition, movement of minerals and nutrients) is determined by the suite of species that occur there, and recent biogeochemical studies indicate that different Sphagnum species have significantly different chemistries and other properties that affect peatland function. For that reason, clear species circumscriptions are critical to understanding their ecological impacts. This research uses modern molecular approaches, coupled with field and specimen-based research, to provide a sound taxonomic treatment essential for evaluating the role of peat mosses in the global biosphere.