This Project Grant award of $377,986.00 from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) supports research by the Missouri Botanical Garden to investigate the eco-evolutionary processes responsible for the high levels of microendemism - species found only in very limited geographic areas - in the biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar.
The key objectives of this 3-year project are to: 1) determine the biogeographic origins of Malagasy plant species in the Diospyros genus, 2) develop a taxonomic framework and identification tools for these species, and 3) test competing hypotheses for the formation of Madagascar's biodiversity hotspots by analyzing species' environmental niches and patterns of diversification. The research will leverage existing DNA samples and conduct field sampling to generate an evolutionary phylogeny of Malagasy Diospyros. This work will contribute to understanding the drivers of exceptional species richness and endemism in global biodiversity hotspots, and provide educational and training opportunities for graduate and high school students.
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