Collaborative Research: Testing the effects of phylogenetic diversity on restoration outcomes in tallgrass prairie

A team of scientists from the Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum, and partner institutions will conduct research at the intersection of evolutionary biology and ecological restoration -- the repair of damaged and degraded habitats. Their research investigates the practical implications of a fundamental finding of evolutionary biology: plant species that are less closely related to each other tend to be more distinct in their traits and in the ecological roles they perform. This is important, as groups of plants that encompass greater trait diversity better support key goals of conservation and land management, such as carbon storage and support of wildlife. This project will test whether selecting an unusually diverse (evolutionarily unrelated) set of plant species to use in prairie restoration is a good rule-of-thumb for achieving better outcomes in restoration of degraded ecosystems. In addition, the project will contribute to scientific engagement of high school and college students and the training of early career scientists. Outreach to the public will be performed through the lead institutions? broad networks of members and visitors.

A key challenge for restoration science is to guide the development of diverse, resilient systems that provide the full suite of services associated with natural communities. Incorporating phylogenetic diversity into restoration is an underexplored, potentially powerful tool to help meet this challenge. This project will address questions important to both basic and applied ecology through observational and experimental approaches that test the influence of phylogenetic diversity on restoration outcomes in prairie ecosystems. Decision analysis will be used to determine how restoration managers can incorporate phylogenetic considerations into multi-objective restoration efforts. Results will be translated into practical tools for restoration, including web-based tools for guiding species-selection decisions.