PMB Professor Dr. Jenny Xiang gave the Incoming president lecture at the Botany2024 conference. The conference was in Grand Rapids, MI. There were about 900 attendees from 53 countries with 53% were students with 20% undergraduate students. There were 746 presentations from contributed Papers, Posters, Special Presentations, Symposia, Colloquia, Lightning Talks, and Workshops. Jenny shared about her international journey into the botany career. Below is the abstract of her talk!
Comprehending Biodiversity via Curiosity-Driven Integrative Research to Aid Conservation and Identify Resilience to Climate Change
Climate change and other human induced impacts have been reshaping both local and global biodiversity and ecosystems, placing the long-term survival of many species at risk and resulting in widespread extinction. Studies indicate that high levels of biodiversity enhance ecosystem resilience to climate change and stabilize ecosystems in shifting climates. Addressing biodiversity loss is a vital task in 21st-century biology for preserving healthy ecosystems. Biodiversity spans various levels (individual, population, species, community, and ecosystem) and dimensions (taxonomic, phylogenetic, morphological, genetic, and functional). Integrative studies provide a better understanding of the origin and evolutionary trajectories of lineages through time and space. Examining ecological functions of biodiversity can help unravel underlying mechanisms and drivers of species interaction in their environment.
The knowledge gained via such studies will be especially useful for guiding conservation efforts and identifying mechanisms important to species or lineages to thrive under adverse circumstances. Collections-based multidisciplinary studies at regional and continental scales hold great promise in predicting spatiotemporal biodiversity changes and prioritizing areas of conservation. As another approach, integrative studies of “model clades” can shed light on the capacity and potential of a species and its relatives to persist during extreme climate events. Such studies will reveal critical traits, genes or genetic components, and mechanisms for surviving in adverse conditions.
Species you see in nature may plant a curious seed in the heart, motivating questioning about what they are, what they do, what roles they play in the ecosystem, and how they are connected to other species. Such curiositydrives novel research beyond traditional fields, fostering deeper understanding through collaborations and through interdisciplinary approaches. Although linking information across levels and dimensions remains challenging, integrating data from different disciplines is essential for a more comprehensive understanding of biodiversity and for identifying possible factors involved in response to climate change. Comparative study and phylogenetic frameworks offer a means for linking trait information across different levels and dimensions, revealing potential causal biotic factors for testing. By integrating data from climate niche, distribution, and soil nutrient/type, evolutionary changes associated with abiotic traits also can be identified.
