NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Association of leaf traits with climate variables in California and Hawaii

这项行动资助了2023财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持一项研究和培训计划，以增加在生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。这个项目的目标是调查和编目本地植物在加州和夏威夷不同气候带中显示的叶子特征。该数据集将为特定气候区域是否存在具有特定叶型的植物提供证据。这些信息很重要，因为它将增加对植物对变化环境的反应的理解。该项目将增加植物进化领域的代表性，促进教学，指导和与加州大学博士后社区的合作研究工作。该项目将开发一个系统发育分析的计算框架，使用多方面的方法来考虑性状生态学和进化。气候和性状变量将被映射，以检测跨谱系的表型变化。加州和夏威夷内外所有地理参照植物标本馆标本和物种原产地植物标本馆收藏品的当前和未来预测气候数据将从全球生物多样性信息设施中提取。这些信息将用于确定跨物种范围的性状与气候的关联。将进行主成分分析，以确定气候变化的轴，然后通过系统发育方差分析，以检查性状的进化和性状与环境变量的关系。这将测试性状在环境梯度上的不稳定性，并允许绘制气候和性状变量图，以检测各谱系的表型变化。总之，该数据库将是一个公共可用的资源，填补了有关叶性状的知识空白，并为未来的研究提供了基础。该项目将拓宽该研究员的系统发育分析技能，并发展该研究员关于全植物群特征进化的知识。除了研究之外，该研究员还将通过在加州大学的指导来教授和支持其他代表性不足的STEM学员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2023, Broadening Participation of Groups under-represented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan to increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The goals of this project are to investigate and catalog the leaf characteristics that native plants display in different climate zones across California and Hawaii. This dataset will provide evidence for whether plants with a certain leaf type are found in specific climate regions. This information is important because it will increase the understanding of the response of plants to changing environments. The project will increase representation in the field of plant evolution and promote teaching, mentoring, and collaborative research efforts with the University of California postdoctoral community.This project will develop a phylogenetic computational framework of analyses, using a multifaceted approach to consider trait ecology and evolution. Climate and trait variables will be mapped to detect phenotypic shifts across lineages. Current and future projected climate data for all geo-referenced herbarium specimens and for herbarium collections in species’ native ranges, within and beyond California and Hawaii will be extracted from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This information will be used to determine associations of traits with climate across species ranges. Principle component analyses will be conducted to determine axes for climatic variation, followed by a phylogenetic ANOVA to examine trait evolution and the relationships of traits with environmental variables. This will test the lability of traits across environmental gradients and allow for the mapping of climate and trait variables to detect phenotypic shifts across lineages. In summary, the database will be a publicly available resource that fills a gap in knowledge concerning leaf traits and provides a foundation for future studies. This project will broaden the fellow’s phylogenetic analysis skillset and develop the fellow’s knowledge about flora-wide trait evolution. In addition to research the fellow will teach and support other underrepresented STEM trainees through mentorship at the University of California.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.