Global warming poses a serious threat to biodiversity. If individuals cannot adjust to sudden warming, three responses are possible: migration, local adaptation or extinction. Understanding how populations have responded to historical climate change can improve our predictions for the future. The North American plant genus Dodecatheon provides an ideal study system. Several rare Dodecatheon species that are endemic to patchy, cool habitats are considered glacial relicts. Other species are widespread and vary in both habitat and morphology. Testing the relative strength of the associations between geography, traits and genetic relatedness in the group will indicate whether these species have responded to historical climate change by migrating or by rapid local adaptation.
This project has both applied and basic scientific importance with broader impacts for society. The results can help predict extinction risk for six taxa which have conservation status in 23 US States and two Canadian provinces. The approach developed can provide basic insight into how climate influences the diversity and distribution of plants. The implementation of the project will further efforts to train the next generation of diverse scientists by providing research opportunities to minority students and by developing classroom presentations for urban high schools.
