Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
Fiji is a biodiversity hotspot of high conservation priority. The considerable age (about 40 million years) and isolation of Fiji have resulted in a diverse flora with high endemism. Nevertheless, the flora remains poorly explored, illustrated by recent discovery of new species and forest types in this area. Knowledge gaps are especially prevalent in the ecology, genetics and conservation of Fijian plant species. In particular, little data exists on the population genetics of Fijian plants and the IUCN redlist states that 97% of the 70 threatened terrestrial plant species need updating.
This project intends to investigate the conservation genetics of 4 tree species, which are rare, iconic and have a more common congeneric species in Fiji. The project will use a comparative approach that looks at the population genetics of these tree species and their more common congeners.
Genetic parameters can provide important data to conservation strategies for endangered plants, such as the amount of genetic diversity, connectivity of populations and the genetic distinctiveness of a taxon. In this project DNA markers will be used to estimate these genetic parameters and examine if generalisations exist for some genetic parameters across rare Fijian plant species.
- Study level
- Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
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Please contact the supervisor.
Dr Peter Prentis
