Systematics of cyperaceae

系统学是对生物的进化关系进行命名、分类和确定的科学。无论我们是制定环境政策，制定保护决策，还是研究一个物种的生态学或分子生物学，系统学都是必不可少的，因为它定义了单位(物种、科等)。并为生物学中有意义的比较提供了背景(进化关系)。我的研究重点是莎草科(莎草科)的系统学，这是一组非常了不起的植物，以其特殊的多样性(约5000种)、不同的生境(从沙漠到热带雨林)、不寻常的细胞学(染色体数量从12到112)和多样化的生物地理模式为特征。在北美植物区系(加拿大和美国)，莎草占我们本土植物区系的近4%(在加拿大占10%)；它们在每个植物区都很常见，就多样性和生物量而言，它们主导着大陆的大片地区。此外，约10%的莎草对人类具有直接(药物、作物)或间接(杂草)经济重要性。然而，莎草仍然是一个研究较少的类群，其分类和关系仍高度未解决。我在莎草家族的长期研究目标是发现多样性，澄清关系，并产生可用于保护生物多样性和提高我们对莎草生物学知识的预测性分类。为了推进这些长期目标，我提出了三个短期研究目标：(1)定义、界定和确定莎草科主要类群和(2)Cariceae部族之间的进化关系；(3)产生一个修订的苔草组分类。这项研究的影响范围更广，从保护生物多样性，到更好地了解世界生物地理学、C3/C4光合作用和莎草染色体变异的进化。

Systematics is the science that names, classifies and determines the evolutionary relationships of living things. Whether we are developing environmental policy, making conservation decisions, or studying the ecology or molecular biology of a species, systematics is essential because it defines the units (species, families, etc.) and provides the context (evolutionary relationships) for meaningful comparisons in biology. My research focuses on the systematics of the sedge family (Cyperaceae), a truly remarkable group of plants characterized by their exceptional diversity (ca. 5000 species), varied habitats (deserts to rain forests), unusual cytology (chromosome numbers from 12 to 112) and diverse biogeographical patterns. In the Flora of North America region (Canada & USA), sedges represent nearly 4% of our native flora (10% in Canada); they are common to every floral region, and they dominate vast areas of the continent in terms of diversity and biomass. Moreover, approximately 10% of sedges are of either direct (medicines, crops) or indirect (weeds) economic importance to humanity. Nevertheless, sedges remain a poorly studied group whose classification and relationships are highly unresolved. My long-term research objectives in the sedge family are to discover diversity, to clarify relationships, and to produce predictive classifications that can be used to preserve biodiversity and to advance our knowledge of sedge biology. In order to forward these long-term goals, I propose three short-term research objectives: (1) to define, circumscribe and determine the evolutionary relationships of the major groups within Cyperaceae and (2) tribe Cariceae, and (3) to produce a revised classification of Carex section Filifoliae. The wider impact of this research ranges from preserving biodiversity, to an improved understanding of world biogeography, C3/C4 photosynthesis and the evolution of chromosomal variation in sedges.