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Global dynamics of mountain diversification and persistence

Objective

Why does the geographic distribution of species richness vary so much across the earth’s surface? This question has been a central focus of biology for almost two centuries, but despite extensive study, biologists have been unable to provide a comprehensive answer. Considering global richness patterns, tropical mountain ranges stand out as the hotspots for vertebrate species diversity. However, our ability to predict the large number of species present in these areas as a result of current climatic and environmental conditions is poor, implying an important influence of evolutionary history in generating these trends. In GAP, I will test the relative importance of different evolutionary processes; dispersal, diversification and lineage persistence in generating species richness patterns throughout the world’s mountain regions, for the most speciose avian order (passerines, ~6,500/10,000 bird species). I will also test whether diversification, followed by the dispersal of lineages from mountain regions to lowland areas, is a major contributor to the production of continental/global gradients of species richness, evolutionary diversity and functional diversity. To determine where efforts should be focused to preserve montane diversity into the future, I will also evaluate how conservation threat status varies among global mountain assemblages, and how well this predicts the evolutionary and functional diversity maintained there. I will achieve these analytical objectives following the generation of a novel and comprehensive global dataset. This will encompass a time-calibrated phylogeny, classifications of global mountain regions and elevational zonation for the world’s passerine species. Together, the research outputs from GAP will significantly improve our understanding as to why mountains are so rich in species, and how historical processes in these areas have influenced the formation of global biodiversity gradients.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017

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Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 183 454,80
Address
FIRTH COURT WESTERN BANK
S10 2TN SHEFFIELD
United Kingdom

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Region
Yorkshire and the Humber South Yorkshire Sheffield
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 183 454,80
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