Genomic patterns of Pitcairnia flammea (Bromeliaceae) along an altitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Forest

• Grant number: 22/04148-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): September 01, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Clarisse Palma da Silva
• Grantee: Tami da Costa Cacossi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/01488-9 - Demographic dynamics of Pitcairnia flammea (Bromeliaceae) over time, and along the altitudinal and ecological gradients of the Atlantic Forest, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest is the second largest tropical rainforest in South America, and has high rates of diversity and endemism due to the great evolutionary dynamism of the region, which can be attributed to the heterogeneity imposed by the latitudinal and altitudinal gradients of its distribution. Pitcairnia flammea (Bromeliaceae) is an endemic species of the Atlantic Forest, distributed from sea level to more than 2000m altitude, and presents great morphological variations and very low gene flow among its populations. In this project, we intend to study the population genomics of this species along an altitudinal gradient of the Atlantic Forest. Thus, the aim of the project are: 1) Identify patterns of diversity and genetic structure, as well as gene flow and divergence times in P. flammea populations; 2) Estimate demographic variations over time, and along the spatial and ecological (temperature) gradient associated with altitude; 3) Find genomic regions under positive selection that could possibly be related to local adaptation along the altitudinal and temperature gradient. The results obtained in this work will help to unravel questions about the evolution, diversification and conservation of plants considering past and future climate changes in an altitudinal gradient located in one of the main diversity hotspots of the Neotropics.