COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REVSYS: Tackling Schefflera: Initiating the Re-circumscription of the Largest Genus in Araliaceae

合作研究：REVSYS：解决鹅掌柴：启动五加科最大属的重新界定

• 批准号: 0943958
• 负责人: Gregory Plunkett
• 金额: $ 12.41万
• 依托单位: New York Botanical Garden
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-03-10 至 2011-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0943958&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: COLLABORATIVE; RESEARCH; REVSYS; Tackling; Schefflera

Tackling Schefflera: Initiating the Re-circumscription of the Largest Genus in AraliaceaeGregory M. Plunkett & Porter P. Lowry IINSF 0613728 & 0614152Near two-thirds of the species in the ginseng family, Araliaceae, belong to the tropical genus Schefflera (about 1100 species, including 500 that have not been formally named). However, the investigators' research on Araliaceae has demonstrated that Schefflera is not a natural group, comprising instead five unrelated lineages concentrated in four different parts of the world. This project will begin to untangle the confusion surrounding Schefflera by focusing on two of these groups, one centered in Madagascar and another in New Caledonia. The investigators will (1) refine species limits by examining specimens and conducting field work, (2) evaluate evolutionary relationships and geographic history using DNA sequences, and (3) assess the conservation importance of the rarest and most threatened species.The need to preserve biodiversity is universally recognized, but progress lags far behind international goals, and taxonomists have a major role to play by defining the basic unit of conservation (species), assessing threats, and providing an evolutionary context for making informed decisions that maximize biodiversity conservation. This study provides an explicit approach for meeting these goals for a set of model species (Schefflera) from two globally-important biodiversity hotspots, and delivering these results to the scientific community, relevant governmental agencies, and the general public through both technical and user-friendly outlets. The project also serves as a bridge between three generations of scientists by involving the principle investigators, an emeritus-level botanist, and students.

解决Schefflera：启动Araliaceaegregory M. Plunkett和Porter P. Lowry Iinsf 0613728＆0614152 near属于附近家族中三分之二的物种的最大属的重新circumscription，属于Araliaceae，Araliaceae中的三分之二。 但是，研究人员对Araliaceae的研究表明，Schefflera不是一个自然群体，而是五个无关的谱系集中在世界四个不同地区。 该项目将通过重点关注其中两个群体，以马达加斯加，另一个在新喀里多尼亚，从而消除围绕Schefflera的混乱。 The investigators will (1) refine species limits by examining specimens and conducting field work, (2) evaluate evolutionary relationships and geographic history using DNA sequences, and (3) assess the conservation importance of the rarest and most threatened species.The need to preserve biodiversity is universally recognized, but progress lags far behind international goals, and taxonomists have a major role to play by defining the basic unit of conservation (species), assessing threats, and提供一个进化环境，以做出最大化生物多样性保护的明智决定。 这项研究提供了一种明确的方法，可以从两个全球重要的生物多样性热点实现一组模型物种（Schefflera），并通过技术和用户友好的渠道向科学界，相关的政府机构以及公众提供这些结果。 该项目还通过参与三代科学家之间的桥梁，通过涉及名誉级别的植物学家和学生。