BRC-BIO: The origin and genetic makeup of rare plants: bridging micro- and macroevolution in the California Floristic Province

BRC-BIO：稀有植物的起源和基因组成：连接加州植物省的微观和宏观进化

• 批准号: 2334849
• 负责人: Oscar Vargas-Hernandez
• 金额: $ 46.3万
• 依托单位: Humboldt State University Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-06-01 至 2027-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2334849&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: BRC; BIO; origin; genetic; makeup

This project will examine the origin and genetics of four rare plants in California, a state known for having high biological diversity. In California, there are over 6,000 different plant species, and about a third of them are rare. Often found in only a single county or a few adjacent counties, rare species are those that live in small areas. Because rare species occupy small areas, any changes to their environment can affect them more relative to widespread species. By studying their genetic makeup and aspects of their morphology and ecology, this study aims to increase our knowledge about rare plants. Understanding how rare plants evolve and how genetically diverse they are will help biologists to manage and protect these rare species. This study focuses on four rare plants in northwestern California. This area is known for its unique plants but faces important challenges from recent wildfires and prolonged droughts. This project will also provide research experience for college and graduate students in northern California, including for students who are underrepresented in the sciences. The results of the study will be presented to local indigenous tribes and to regional and national societies.Hotspots of biodiversity have a high proportion of rare plants: it is estimated that about a third of plant taxa in the California Floristic Province are rare. Recent evidence has shown that budding speciation could be a primary driver of rare species diversity in the California Floristic Province. Despite the apparent relative importance of rare species in the assemblage of biodiversity hotspots, fine evolutionary scale studies that test the predictions of budding speciation are missing, and little is known about the origin and genetics of rare plant species. Budding speciation is defined as a process in which a widespread species (progenitor) gives rise to a narrowly distributed species (derivative), with the “derivative” species being geographically adjacent or overlapping to the “progenitor” species. This project will study four rare species (Erysimum menziesii, Lupinus constancei, Silene serpentinicola, Wyethia longicaulis) in northwestern California to: 1) test the phylogenetic and genetic predictions of budding speciation, and 2) test for ecological divergence between the “derivative” and its putative “progenitor.” The project will sample hundreds or thousands of DNA regions and multiple individuals per species for aim 1. Vegetative habit, flower size, flowering period, soil preference, and climatic niche will be compared between the “derivative” species and its putative “progenitor” for aim 2. Knowledge gained from this project will provide valuable input in the evolutionary processes governing rare plant species.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.

这个项目将研究加州四种珍稀植物的起源和遗传学，加州以拥有高度的生物多样性而闻名。在加利福尼亚州，有6000多种不同的植物，其中约三分之一是稀有的。稀有物种通常只在一个县或几个相邻的县发现，是那些生活在小地区的物种。由于稀有物种占据的区域很小，与广泛分布的物种相比，环境的任何变化都会对它们产生更大的影响。通过对它们的遗传组成、形态和生态等方面的研究，旨在增加我们对珍稀植物的认识。了解稀有植物是如何进化的，以及它们的遗传多样性如何，将有助于生物学家管理和保护这些稀有物种。这项研究的重点是加利福尼亚州西北部的四种稀有植物。该地区以其独特的植物而闻名，但面临着最近野火和长期干旱的重大挑战。该项目还将为加利福尼亚州北部的大学生和研究生提供研究经验，包括那些在科学领域代表性不足的学生。这项研究的结果将提交给当地土著部落以及地区和国家社会。生物多样性热点地区有很高比例的稀有植物：据估计，加州植物区系省约三分之一的植物分类群是稀有植物。最近的证据表明，萌芽物种形成可能是加州植物区系省稀有物种多样性的主要驱动力。尽管稀有物种在生物多样性热点组合中具有明显的相对重要性，但测试萌芽物种形成预测的精细进化规模研究还缺乏，对稀有植物物种的起源和遗传学知之甚少。萌芽物种形成的定义是，一个广泛分布的物种(祖先)产生一个狭小分布的物种(衍生物种)，其中“衍生”物种在地理上与“祖先”物种相邻或重叠。该项目将对加利福尼亚州西北部的四个稀有物种(Erysimum menziesii，Lupinus stantancei，Silene serpeninicola，Wteia Longicaulis)进行研究，以：1)测试萌芽物种形成的系统发育和遗传预测；2)测试“衍生物”和其推定的“祖先”之间的生态分歧。该项目将对目标1的成百上千个DNA区域和每个物种的多个个体进行采样。将比较目标2的“衍生”物种和其推定的“祖先”物种之间的营养习性、花朵大小、花期、土壤偏好和气候生态位。从该项目中获得的知识将在珍稀植物物种的进化过程中提供宝贵的投入。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。