What is the influence of abiotic factors on the spatial distribution of Mimosa (Leguminosae) phylogenetic diversity?

• Grant number: 25/03553-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Phytogeography
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Maurici Borges
• Grantee: João Pedro Fujita
• Supervisor: Ryan A Folk
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Mississippi State University (MSU), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/07221-7 - What is the influence of abiotic factors on the phylogenetic diversity and endemism of Mimosa (Leguminosae)?, BP.IC

Abstract

Biogeography seeks to understand the patterns and processes that shaped the distributions of organisms in space and time. Although large-scale analyses of phylogenetic diversity and endemism allow us to distinguish the contribution of ecological and evolutionary factors in the biota distribution, most biogeographic studies do not integrate these metrics or delineate their relationship with abiotic factors. In this context, we aim to understand how and which abiotic factors shape patterns of alpha and beta diversity for the genus Mimosa L. (Fabaceae), a group of plants particularly diverse in open vegetation and altitudinal areas throughout the America. To text which abiotic factors drive the alpha and beta patterns of Mimosa phylogenetic diversity, we will conduct generalized models analyses (GLM and GDM). To better perform the analysis proposed we will collaborate with two experts on the investigation of environmental drivers of phylogenetic diversity, Dr. Ryan Folk and Dr. Carolina M. Siniscalchi, both at Mississippi State University. Drs. Folk and Siniscalchi will not only aid with the development of the project but most importantly, train an undergraduate researcher in the theory and practice of evolutionary biogeography.