Research group Group Hackel
Evolutionary plant biogeography
We are plant biogeographers: we study why groups of plant species are found in particular places of the world but not in others. In particular, we focus on the evolutionary processes driving these distribution patterns, such as speciation, extinction and dispersal. Understanding these will also help to better protect plants and the organisms that depend on them, and to use them more sustainably. Our methods mainly include phylogenetics, which means we use DNA to understand how species diverged from each other over time. We also collect plants in the field and work with herbarium collections. Currently we focus on the biogeography of grasses (Poaceae), the ecosystems of Madagascar, and the geographic co-evolution of grasses and their symbiotic fungi.
Group members
Group managers
Jan Hackel
Associate Professor
