*NERC E4* Ecological genomics of the British Flora

Interested individuals must follow the "how to apply" link on the Geosciences E4 Doctoral Training Partnership web page: http://www.ed.ac.uk/e4-dtp/how-to-apply

Biodiversity scientists have long been interested in the evolutionary and ecological processes shaping regional diversity. This project uses an integrated approach to link genetic variation to ecological variables to better understand the assemblage of species in the British flora. The British flora is an ideal study system as it is manageable in size with ~1400 native species, has an excellent ecological and genetic resource base, and can act as a tractable model for the wider impacts of global change. This research will draw on three major resources: (a) The native British flora has been DNA barcoded, which enables comparative ecological analyses that account for species relationships; (b) The distribution of the 909 naturally occurring hybrid taxa have assessed, allowing the propensity of hybridisation to be compared between plant groups and habitats; (c) The distribution of plant species has been mapped, with over 40 million records of plant occurrence available, which facilitate the analysis of distributional change over time.
This research will integrate the genetic (DNA barcoding) and ecological (distributional) data for British native species and their hybrids. For selected large genera with many hybrids new genomic resequencing data will be generated to investigate the long-term outcomes of interspecific gene flow, as well as the impact of recent changes in distribution.

Key research questions
1. How do species’ attributes and ecological variables differ between British native plant groups and across the plant phylogeny?
2. How does hybridisation impact genetic diversity in large plant genera?
3. What is the genetic signature of demographic change caused by recent range expansion?

A comprehensive training programme will be provided comprising both specialist scientific training and generic transferable and professional skills. The project draws on the existing strengths of the University of Edinburgh, complemented by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, with its expertise in plant biodiversity science. Training will include: (1) analytical methods for genomic analysis, (2) data analysis, visualisation and programming in R, (3) plant study and fieldwork, (4) scientific writing and presentation, and (5) working in a multi-disciplinary environment

The applicant should have an interest in biodiversity, a willingness to perform fieldwork, and be willing to learn advanced approaches in ecological science. The ideal candidate will have prior experience in plant identification, population genetics, and modelling and data analysis in R.

Methodology
Year 1: Literature review and comparative analyses • Compilation of existing data on species’ attributes and ecological variables. • Comparative analyses of ecological traits accounting for species relationships inferred from DNA barcoding data.
Year 2: Fieldwork and genomics • Targeted fieldwork of large plant genera. • Genomic sequencing and characterisation of genomic diversity.
Year 3: Integrated analysis of genomic data • Demographic modelling of species from large genera. • Genome scans to identify regions of divergence between hybridising taxa.