Researchers at the University of Wisconsin received a five-year, $2.93 million grant to conduct further and more in-depth research on what effects alterations in environment, nearby species and climate changes have on Wisconsin plants.
The Dimensions of Biodiversity Program at the National Science Foundation gave the grant and will allow the researchers to uncover answers to questions they were not able to answer before, UW botany professor Tom Givnish said.
Givnish is one of the members of the research team and said he is excited about the opportunities this grant presents. With the grant money, the team hopes to understand why certain species are being lost, why others are invading and what it means for Wisconsin.
In addition, the team wants to examine how future climate changes and urban development will affect plants.
UW botany professor Don Waller is the leader of the research project and said he believes the research can greatly benefit the state of Wisconsin, and they are recruiting the most talented and capable people to work on the project.
Thanks to the grant, the project has the opportunity to thrive and can benefit not just the university, but the residents of Wisconsin. Through their research, residents will be able to learn which species are at risk of extinction, Waller said. The extinction of a species could have tremendous effects on the ecology of the state.
In Wisconsin, a number of plant species are undergoing changes, and Waller said 60 percent of the species have already been lost. Many invasive species are destroying woodland communities as well, which could have adverse effects on humans.
The team wants to be able to understand why these changes occur and how they can help to stop any change that could possibly be a potential threat, Waller added.
Waller said it is exciting to have an opportunity to understand the resources of the state.
“I just think this is cool biology, we never got to put together information like this, and it’s exciting because of the range of questions we will be able to answer,” Waller said.