Developing new methods for using distribution data to identify taxa that can tolerate extreme conditions

This project is designed as a proof-of-concept for the macroevolutionary approach to understanding the lability of stress tolerance in plants. This will be a novel combination of environmental niche modelling and phylogenetic analysis to identify species with single and multiple stress tolerances. We have successfully used ALA distribution data to predict salinity and alkalinity tolerance in Australian grasses (Annals of Botany 2014), despite the challenges of limited phylogenetic resolution, and the challenges of inferring salinity that can vary over very short scales. This project will develop a more detailed test to account for sampling bias and spatial and phylogenetic autocorrelation. Here we will use Banksia and Hakea as exemplars to develop the methods, building on recently completed species-level phylogenies of these genera. We will focus on environmental conditions including soils, temperature and rainfall patterns as a foundation for developing these methods.