Hidden Diversity

The hidden diversity within the grass-like plant group called Hainsimsen (Luzula) in the Eastern Alps will be the focus of a lecture organized by Eurac Research and the Biodiversity Platform South Tyrol, taking place on October 8 at the Museum of Nature.

Many different plant species grow in the Alpine meadows. However, some look so similar that they are almost impossible to tell apart. One example is Hainsimsen (Luzula), a grass-like plant group from the rush family. It is especially difficult to distinguish species within a certain group (the Luzula campestris aggregate). Using genetic analyses, researchers were able to show that many of these species hybridize or emerged through changes in genetic material. Their habitats were also studied, revealing ecological differences among the species. The results help to better understand this complex plant group and to map their distribution more precisely.

This is the subject of the colloquium “Cryptic Evolution and Ecological Differentiation of Various Hainsimsen Species in the Eastern Alps”, organized by Eurac Research and the Biodiversity Platform South Tyrol. It will take place on Wednesday, October 8 at 6:00 PM at the South Tyrol Museum of Nature. The speaker, Valentin Heimer, studies and conducts research within the Biodiversity group at the Institute of Botany of the University of Innsbruck, focusing on the evolution and ecology of the genus Luzula. He completed part of his PhD at Eurac Research’s Institute for Alpine Environment. Attendance is free, but registration on the museum’s website at https://app.no-q.info/naturmuseum-sudtirol/events/course/543433
is recommended. The lecture will also be streamed on the museum’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/live/3_a_aqdJQs4.

Useful links: