I. Plant Biology Group

Head: Dr. Elżbieta Cieślak

Scientific Staff: Dr. Elżbieta Cieślak, Dr. Agnieszka Domka, Miron Gieniec, Prof. Zbigniew Miszalski, Dr. Beata Paszko, Dr. Magdalena Szczepaniak, Dr. Magdalena Szechyńska-Hebda, Dr. Monika Woźniak-Chodacka

Technical Staff: Monika Wójcik

Research profile

Research profile of the group is focused on two axes. First, phylogenetic and taxonomic research is centred on evolutionary relationships between taxa and on mechanisms underlying the evolution of biodiversity, including polyploidisation, hybridization, and reticulate evolution. Related studies feature in particular critical analyses of selected genera, based on nomenclature types and protologues, and comparative analyses of morphological and molecular traits. The second research focus comprises molecular biogeography, i.e. studies of the structure and evolution of biodiversity in the spatial (geographical) and temporal context, at different levels of organization (population, species, community), using molecular biology techniques. Our research addresses the spatial-temporal dynamics of the geographical ranges of organisms and mechanisms shaping them in the past, which is further important for predicting how distribution and structure of biodiversity will respond to ongoing climate change. Studies undertaken by our group are based on model material including vascular plant taxa.

Research teams and topics

Team I.1

Leader: Dr. Magdalena Szczepaniak

Research topic: Plant diversity in the context of environmental change (B. Paszko, M. Szczepaniak)

Team I.2

Leader: Dr. Elżbieta Cieślak

Research topic: Acclimation and adaptation mechanisms determining the invasive potential of plants (E. Cieślak, A. Domka, M. Gieniec, Z. Miszalski, M. Szechyńska-Hebda, M. Woźniak-Chodacka)