How isolated is Antarctica? Assessing past and present plant colonisations

该项目旨在通过发现南极大陆自然殖民化发生的方式、时间和地点，评估生物隔离的程度。这项研究将集中在苔藓上，这是南极的主要植物群。基因组工具将与环境、空间和生态数据相结合，以评估向南极洲及其周围扩散的机制和方向，并预测未来最有可能被殖民的地区。这将有助于了解支撑南极物种进化和多样性的过程，以及南极生态系统的脆弱性和适应性。

The project aims to assess how biologically isolated Antarctica is by discovering how, when and where natural colonisations of the continent have occurred. The research will focus on mosses, the dominant plant group in the Antarctic. genomic tools will be combined with environmental, spatial, and ecological data to assess mechanisms and directions of dispersal to and around Antarctica, and to predict areas most likely to be colonised in the future. This will help understand the processes underpinning the evolution and diversity of Antarctic species, and the vulnerability and adaptability of Antarctic ecosystems.