Collaborative Research: RUI: Understanding diversity in camas and rush lilies: can a unified approach resolve species boundaries in difficult groups?

描述生命惊人的多样性是创建稳定的、可预测的分类的基础，这些分类每天都应用于农业、环境保护和医学。然而，尽管有新的基因组工具，物种的边界仍然存在争议，因为定义物种的过程和特征在空间和时间上都是动态的。该项目使用多种证据方法和新的方案来测试发现驱动的物种划分假说在密切相关的卡马西亚和哈斯廷西亚(百合)。它们的形态复杂性、杂交种和可变种群构成了困难的分类挑战，使它们成为定义综合分类的“最佳实践”的理想范例。对生态和遗传差异、生殖障碍以及“多面手授粉者”对花卉性状的反应的分析，将进一步深入了解高度专业化授粉的家庭中多样性是如何产生的。CAMAS对土著人民的生态和文化价值加强了该项目的广泛重点，该项目让K-12、本科生和研究生参与涵盖整个系统学范围的调查。志愿者伙伴关系将在受威胁的栖息地培养多样化的结构化体验。使用互联网密钥将进一步提高稀有和常见植物的识别能力。最后，生态位建模和昆虫访问和开花时间的记录可能有助于跟踪气候变化对植物-传粉者相互作用的影响。

Characterizing life's astounding diversity is fundamental to creating the stable, predictive classifications applied daily in agriculture, conservation, and medicine. Despite new genomic tools, however, species boundaries remain contentious since both the processes and traits that define species are spatially and temporally dynamic. This project uses multiple evidentiary approaches and novel protocols to test discovery-driven hypotheses of species delimitation in closely related Camassia and Hastingsia (rush lilies). Their morphological complexity, hybrids, and variable populations pose difficult classification challenges, making them ideal exemplars for defining the "best practices" of integrative taxonomy. Analysis of ecological and genetic differences, reproductive barriers, and the response of "generalist pollinators" to floral traits will add further insights into how diversity arises in a family where highly specialized pollination also occurs. The ecological and cultural value of camas to indigenous peoples enhances the project's broad focus, which engages K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students in investigations encompassing the full scope of systematics. Volunteer partnerships will foster diverse, structured experiences in threatened habitats. Access to internet keys will further improve rare and common plant identification. Finally, ecological niche modeling and records of insect visits and flowering times may facilitate tracking the effects of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions.