About This Project

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The research proposed explores questions of speciation in arctic and alpine plant species that extend from the polar regions into southern California in the United States.

The biological systems of this study are the genus Claytonia L. of the Montiaceae, the genus Draba L. of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), and the genus Silene L. of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae). The habitats in which these groups collectively occur are threatened by habitat loss due to the effects of global climate change.

These alpine groups are often dependent upon annual snowfall and snowmelt, both of which can be greatly influenced by climate change. Research with these plants may help to shed light on how they are maintained under environmental stresses, like glaciation cycles and habitat fluctuations.

What is the significance of this project?

The proposed activity advances the understanding of the evolution of new species, and is central to our comprehension of biodiversity on Earth.

The Greater Rocky Mountain ranges of North America and Beringian region linking it with northeast Asia deserves our efforts in conservation, and biogeographic study.

Our research will directly benefit the cause of the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, as it strives to create larger tracks of wilderness land for the healthy migration of plants and animals in the Greater Rocky Mountains.

What are the goals of the project?

The funds requested from our supporters on Experiment.com will be used to support botanical field collection and associated laboratory work.

We seek to understand how species formed and migrated throughout the North American Cordillera. Using genetic sequencing, we can piece together recent and past historic events.

During the Quaternary glaciation cycles, plants evolved specific distribution patterns. We want to understand how populations are related to others due to glaciers that moved them over many years.

By learning historical migration routes of species, we can estimate how species will move in the future as the climate changes. We can learn about how species numbers change over time due to these kinds of environmental changes.

We will learn how species adaptat to alpine habitats.