Molecular phylogenetics of Cecropia: a keystone neotropical pioneer, US-Colombia collaboration

Abstract Proposal: OISE-1132916

PI/Institution: Weiblen, George D., University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Dr. George Weiblen from the University of Minnesota and Dr. Santiago Madriñan from the Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia propose a new international collaboration to lay down the systematic foundations for studying the ecology and evolution of an important tropical tree,Cecropia,and its ant inhabitants. Specifically the PIs plan to apply a network analytical approach to quantify ant associations with plants across six Colombian bio-geographical regions where the diversity of Cecropia species is high. For each study site the PIs will develop an ant-plant association matrix to quantify the relative importance of ecological and evolutionary processes in assembling ecological communities.

The PIs are committed to including junior scientists in the proposed collaboration. In particular this project will give a US PhD student the opportunity to receive interdisciplinary training in systematics and ecology and be mentored by Colombian colleagues with expertise in phylogenetics, plant DNA analysis and ant ecology. Furthermore, the proposed collaboration where the PIs locate the molecular work in the same country where samples originate while sharing digital data, represents a new model for rapid systematic progress. This model addresses a requirement under the International Convention on Biodiversity which restricts material transfer in developing countries. Additionally, the PIs and the students will exchange information between Colombia and the US through the submission of DNA sequences to GenBank, scientific publications, and presentations at professional meetings.