Contrasting Predictors of Regional versus Local Rarity Among Bryophytes of Haida Gwaii, BC

My masters thesis is on contrasting predictors of regional versus local rarity among the bryophytes of Haida Gwaii, B.C. This work involves sequencing regions of the DNA from bryophyte species collected from the field in Haida Gwaii as well as herbarium specimens to reconstruct bryophyte evolutionary relationships – their phylogeny – and to construct a ‘DNA barcode library’. This information can then be used to determine the correlation between key life history traits and rarity. Through the Mitacs Globalink Research Award, I will be able to collaborate with Dr. Yang Liu, an expert on bryophyte genomics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, and will have access to the state-of-the-art DNA sequencing facilities at the Botanical Garden. This opportunity will provide me with training in sequencing techniques for DNA barcoding, new sequencing protocols, and the analysis of next generation sequence data.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jonathan Davies

Student:

Partner:

Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: