ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY DRIVERS OF FLORAL TRAIT VARIATION IN A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT

• Grant number: 25/26093-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2026
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato
• Grantee: Beatriz Lopes Monteiro
• Supervisor: Juan Arroyo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad de Sevilla (US), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/01806-3 - Reproductive traits and the evolution of the campo rupestre flora, BP.DR

Abstract

Understanding how evolutionary history and environmental heterogeneity shape community assembly is central to explaining patterns of biodiversity. In this project, we aim to investigate how the mosaic of vegetation types and elevational gradient influence the distribution of floral traits and phylogenetic structure in the campo rupestre, a megadiverse and highly endemic montane ecosystem in Brazil. While the role of soil and elevation in structuring these communities is well recognized, the evolutionary patterns underlying floral trait variation remain poorly explored. To address this gap, we will combine ecological, functional, and phylogenomic approaches. Using Hybrid-Enrichment Sequencing (Hyb-Seq) with the Angiosperms-353 probe set, we will reconstruct a robust community-level phylogeny of plant species sampled across 180 permanent plots in Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais. Phylogenetic and statistical analyses will be used to test whether floral traits-such as size, symmetry, and pollination system-exhibit phylogenetic clustering or convergence across vegetation types and elevations. This research will provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying plant diversification and coexistence in ancient Neotropical mountain ecosystems. Furthermore, by integrating reproductive ecology with cutting-edge phylogenomics, it will advance our understanding of how functional and evolutionary processes interact to maintain biodiversity in one of the world's most species-rich and threatened habitats.