T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM002: Plants on Rock Outcrops: Insights into Phylogeny, Biogeography and Ecology
Organiser: Dr Stefan Porembski - University Of Rostock

Worldwide, isolated rock outcrops occur that are differentiated according to their geology, age and size. Surprisingly, despite looking deserted, they offer a plentitude of organismic life from extremely resistant cyanobacteria living on or in the interior of the exposed and frequently hot rock surfaces to tender water plants in rock pools. It can be estimated that more than 5000 species of higher plants are specialized for life on rock outcrops. Many of them have particular adaptations (e.g. desiccation tolerance) in order to withstand various environmental extremes such as sun exposure, heat and unpredictable prolonged periods of drought. The symposium is aimed at providing up-to-date information on a wide spectrum of botanical aspects (phylogeny, ecology, conservation) about plant life on both tropical and temperate rock outcrops.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym009: The reintroduction of rare and endangered plants
Organiser: Prof Hongwen Huang -South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy Of Sciences

For those species that are charachterised by very low numbers of individuals with a small number of existing populations, in situ nature management measures can be insufficient, ineffective and even unsuitable. In this case, reintroduction may be considered. In ¡°Global Strategy for Plant Conservation¡±, Ex situ conservation and recovery plans for threatened and endangered species to reintroduce 10% or so of endangered plants to wild habitats was listed as Target 8. Reintroduction has been regarded as an extinction prevention strategy for plant species for at least 100 years. The knowledge of the reintroduced species¡¯ taxonomy, reproductive biology, demography, horticulture, and ecology is needed for successful reintroductions. Although there are some success stories, most reintroduction attempts have failed and that little is learned from the processes. Reintroduction is recongnised as a relatively high-risk, high-cost activity, disseminating information concerning reintroduction experiments are important to provide examples and case studies to define and update common standards and methodologies. Reintroduction biology has traditionally focused on the factors such as affecting establishment and spread of populations to determine whether reintroductions are successful or not. The research questions addressed have largely been driven by the monitoring data available rather than driven by questions. With a focus on ¡°The reintroduction of rare and endangered plants¡±, the Symposia hopes to engage the debate on the impact of global change on plant reintroduction.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym010: Trace gas and volatile analysis in the study of plant interactions with the abiotic and biotic environment.
Organiser: Prof Michael Jackson - University Of Bristol

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym011: The Global Strategy For Plant Conservation: An Opportunity And Challenge For The international Community
Organiser: Dr Peter Wyse Jackson - National Botanic Gardens Of Ireland

The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) was adopted by the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in April 2002 (decision VI/9), with the long-term objective of halting the current and continuing loss of plant diversity. The GSPC comprises 16 broad outcome-oriented and interlinked targets relating to the conservation of plant species. During the period 2002 to 2010 good progress was achieved in embedding the GSPC as a key guiding instrument for botanical and conservation organisations, institutions and other bodies worldwide.It is likely that in 2010 a second phase of the GSPC will be adopted by the CBD’s COP setting out a series of renewed and updated targets for 2020. Although significant progress has already been achieved with the GSPC up to 2010, it is recognised that much of the work required to safeguard the world’s plant diversity has barely begun and that the coming decade will be crucial as the conversion of natural habitats continues apace. In addition, the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and the growing impact of climate change will make plant conservation an even harder challenge over the coming years. This Symposium will provide an opportunity to a) explain the key components, objectives and modus operandi of the GSPC; b) outline progress already made in GSPC implementation at the national and international levels; c) present some case studies of sectoral and national level implementation; d) highlight the key components for the second phase of the GSPC, including any issues and constraints in implementing the Strategy identified up to 2010 e) help suggest ways of addressing particular challenges in GSPC implementation up to 2020. f) Encourage more botanical institutions to be involved in GSPC implementation in the coming years. The symposium will be organised by the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation, a voluntary network of major bodies involved in supporting the implementation of the GSPC worldwide (www.plants2010.org). Details of specific presentations and speakers to be included in the Symposium are not yet available and names already included are provisional.;

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym012: Flooding Stress: Mechanisms Of Adaptation And Escape
Organiser: Prof Michael Jackson - University Of Bristol

Flooding and submergence are major abiotic stresses affecting survival, species diversity and agricultural productivity worldwide. Their prevalence is increasing as climate warms. This session examines biophysical, biochemical and physiological processes enhancing tolerance through escape and adaptation in naturally occurring species and rice. Topics include extraction and disposing of key metabolic gases underwater, hormonal regulation of developmental adaptations and harnessing molecular and physiological information to improved submergence tolerance in rice.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym013: Plant Ancient Biomolecules: Human History And Changing Climates
Organiser: Dr Hugh Cross - State Herbarium Of South Australia

The field of ancient DNA and paleomolecular research has advanced rapidly in the last few years.  New technical and analytical achievements have extended the data available and the type of research questions that can be answered.  This is especially true for studies in plant ancient DNA research.  Most of the initial work in ancient DNA was done on animals and especially humans.  In recent years, however, there has been quite a bit of excellant research on botanical groups and many of the initial technical challenges have been overcome.  As plant and fungal species comprise a dominant role in terrestrial landscapes, these advances in botanical ancient DNA research have significantly increased our knowledge of the paleoecology and evolution of whole ecosystems.  As well, ancient DNA studies of archaeobotanical remains have increased understanding of human interactions with crop species over time.  I was a co-organizer of a similar symposium that was held during the 2005 IBC in Vienna and by all accounts it was a success.  I intend to invite several of those participants to Melbourne to present their latest work, as well as new researchers who are advancing plant ancient DNA techniques.  I have assembled a range of researchers representing different approaches in ancient DNA.  These include studies of DNA obtained from new sources, such as sediment and pollen, as well as application of new techniques, including second generation sequencing.  The assembled researchers come from the best ancient DNA laboratories in the world, including two such labs in Australia.  This would be a good opportunity to highlight the progress made in this field, as well as demonstrate how Australia is becoming one of the leaders in the field of ancient DNA.  Additionally, bringing together the top researchers in the field will greatly increase the potential for collaborative projects and sharing technical advances. 

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym014: Ecological Traits Of Plant Species Worldwide
Organiser: Prof Mark Westoby - Macquarie University

The research to be reported in this symposium arises from international working groups that have collaboratively assembled datasets to achieve wide coverage of species or sites. Research of this type seems especially appropriate for IBC. The drive to globalize reflects an important current trend, driven by the search for broad and consistent generalizations, by comparisons across continents and climate zones, by the problems of modelling vegetation under global change, and by the wish to set detailed research on model species within a broader context. Most of the research focuses on the traits of plant species and on their consequences for larger-scale processes in ecosystems and over the course of evolutionary history.  The research to be reported arises from working groups of the Network for Vegetation Function, rather than from individual authors.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym015: Male Function And Patterns Of Paternity In Flowering Plant Populations
Organiser: Dr Jeffrey D. Karron (University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Giorgina Bernasconi (University of Neuchâtel, SWITZERLAND), and Monica Medrano (Estacion Biologica de Doñana, CSIC, SPAIN) 

Over the last five years there has been a dramatic increase in research on the ecological and evolutionary factors affecting siring success in flowering plant populations.  This growing research emphasis has been stimulated by important conceptual breakthroughs concerning the influence of natural selection on floral traits, the dynamics of pollen transport, and the role of postpollination processes.  It also reflects major advances in molecular tools and analytical methods for quantifying patterns of paternity.  These developments have occurred simultaneously in three different fields: 1) research on the evolution of sexual polymorphisms; 2) research on the ecological and genetic factors influencing mate diversity within fruits; and 3) research on patterns of gene dispersal.  However, most workers have focused their research on a single field, and there has been surprisingly little dialogue among these disciplines.  The goals of our proposed symposium are to highlight recent advances in the study of male function and patterns of paternity, and to identify important avenues for future research.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym016: Plant-Microbe Interactions: Mycorrhizas And Environmental Change
Organiser: Dr Tim Cavagnaro - Monash University

Soils contain the most diverse terrestrial communities on the planet. Interactions between plant roots and soil micro-organisms can have a profound impacts upon the biology and ecology of plants. The importance of plant-microbe interactions, of which there are many types, is increasingly recognized as fundamental to the functioning, and indeed the management, of plant communities. Understanding these interactions will be especially important in the context of environmental change.  One of the challenges in studying the soil biota is linking functions to specific groups of organisms. This symposium will focus on one of the most taxonomically and geographically widespread types of plant-microbe interactions; that is, mycorrhizal associations. While the vast majority of plant species form mycorhrizas, there are two dominant types of mycorrhizas, the arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) (Co-Chair Cavagnaro’s area of expertise) and ectomycorrhizas (ECM) (co-chair Cairney’s area of expertise). Our emphasis will be on the role of mycorrhizas in modulating plant responses to the environment.  AM play an important role in plant nutrition by providing access to soil-derived nutrients from sources not necessarily otherwise accessible to roots. Although usually considered important primarily for P uptake, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can also increase uptake of other nutrients including, N, Zn and others. In return for supplying nutrients to the plant, AMF receive a supply of C from the plant. The balance between C and nutrient supply between the plant and fungi plays an important role in defining plant responses to the environment. This symposium will explore this issue.  ECM play an important roles in the nutrition of many trees and are regarded as key components of nutrient and carbon cycling processes in forest ecosystems. ECM fungi mobilise and provide their plant hosts with access to nitrogen and phosphorus from a range of organic and inorganic sources in soil and their mycelia are important avenues for delivery and distribution of plant-derived carbon in forest soils. ECM thus play a major role in defining the biology and ecology of plants. This symposium will explore this issue.  Understanding both the biology and ecology of mycorrhrizas will be essential if we are to understand larger scale ecological processes. This symposium will provide an important forum for mycorrhizas researchers, both those in Australia and internationally, to come together. It is anticipated that the symposium will lead to the identification of common themes across both types of mycorrhrizas, with a view to the preparation of a synthesis review. 

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym017: Crassulacean Acid Metabolism: Evolutionary Origins, Ecological Plasticity And Bioenergy Potential
Organiser: J. Andrew C. Smith - University of Oxford, UK Klaus Winter - Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama Joseph Holtum - James Cook University, Australia

Organizers:  J. Andrew C. Smith (University of Oxford, U.K.) Klaus Winter (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama) Joseph Holtum   (James Cook University, Australia)  Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) represents, together with C3 and C4 photosynthesis, one the three major pathways of net CO2 assimilation found in land plants.  Because of its close association with water-limited habitats, CAM photosynthesis is regarded as one of the clearest examples of an ecological adaptation in the plant kingdom.  Whereas the metabolic basis of CAM is now well established – comprising in essence nocturnal CO2 fixation coupled with daytime stomatal closure – much recent research has focused on the ecological diversity and evolutionary origins of this adaptation.  Furthermore, as scientists contemplate a warmer world in which water availability will be at a premium, there is intensified interest in understanding how CAM plants are so well adapted to survive (and show surprisingly high productivities) in stressful environments.  Lessons learned from these studies are expected to be of great value in developing more stress-tolerant, water-use-efficient crop plants, and possibly in the exploitation of CAM plants themselves on marginal land.  The following major topical themes will be covered:  Biodiversity and systematics:  Approximately 7 % of all angiosperm species are now estimated to possess CAM, approximately twice the number with C4 photosynthesis.  Many of these CAM plants are core components of threatened biomes, such as xerophytic succulent scrub and tropical montane cloud forests. New CAM plants continue to be discovered, so this symposium will provide an opportunity to assess the latest information on the taxonomic distribution of CAM and its ecological significance.  Evolutionary origins:  In the absence of a fossil record, molecular-phylogenetic methods are now being applied to certain key groups and have shown that CAM has arisen multiple times, sometimes even within individual families. Date-calibrated phylogenies are starting to generate specific hypotheses about the evolutionary origins of CAM and the palaeoecological context in which particular lineages arose.  Ecological plasticity:  The apparent ‘flexibility’ of CAM has been much debated in the past.  Recent research has clarified the extent to which CAM photosynthesis is developmentally controlled or environmentally induced in different species.  Together with large assembled datasets of carbon-isotope ratios, this is producing a reassessment of the adaptive significance of plasticity in photosynthetic pathway expression.  Bioenergy potential:  Considerable interest has developed in the potential for CAM plants as a sustainable bioenergy feedstock.  This would exploit the exceptional stress tolerance of high-biomass CAM plants such as agaves by making use of marginal, degraded land unable to support other major crops. Competition could thereby be avoided with land required for food, and may offset the pressure for clearance of primary vegetation for biofuel crops in tropical regions of the world.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym018: Composition And Dynamics Of Urban Floras
Organiser: Dr Amy Hahs - Australian Research Centre For Urban Ecology, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym020: Phenotypic Plasticity In A Changing Climate
Organiser: Adrienne Nicotra - The Australian National University, Australia Fernando Valladares - Instituto de Recursos Naturales. CSIC , Spain Ernesto Gianoli, Depto de Biología, Univ. de La Serena, Chile

Rising carbon dioxide levels and climate change are altering the environment that plants experience. Key to determining how plants respond to these changes is the existence and expression of phenotypic plasticity — environmentally induced variation in phenotype. The emergence of new techniques in plant biology, including molecular and phenomic tools, presents a novel opportunity to re-evaluate the way we examine the phenotype. The phenotypic plasticity of a given genotype, or the range of phenotypes that can be expressed dependent upon environment, thus becomes something we can feasibly assess. Of particular importance is phenotypic variation that increases fitness or survival – adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Here we examine the relevance of phenotypic plasticity, in particular adaptive plasticity, in an era of rapid climate change. Understanding phenotypic plasticity is important to modeling both community composition and crop production under climate change scenarios.  Speakers in this symposium will present the latest perspectives on how phenotypic plasticity may influence plant responses to climate change. We provide below a list of potential speakers in each of several disciplines, e,g, ecology, physiology, genetics.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym022: Polar And Alpine Plants: Coping With Extreme And Changing Climates
Organiser: A/Prof Sharon Robinson - University Of Wollongong

Polar and alpine regions are experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climatic shifts on Earth. This symposium will consider how plants have evolved to cope with the past climates of these cold regions and also how they are coping, or are likely to cope, under climate change. Topics covered will range from the molecular to the ecological and will provide an opportunity to compare plant responses across the Antarctic, Arctic and alpine regions of the world.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym023: Environmental Effects Of Ultraviolet Radiation On Terrestrial Ecosystems
Organiser: A/Prof Sharon Robinson - University Of Wollongong

Ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation reaching the earth’s surface has increased significantly over the past three decades at all latitudes except the equatorial zone, with the largest increments at high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. Recovery of stratospheric ozone, due in large part to the successful implementation of the Montreal protocol, is predicted over the next half century. However, the effects of climate change on ozone atmospheric chemistry and UV penetration mean that surface UV irradiance may not return to pre-1970s levels as rapidly or consistently as previously estimated. For some regions the UV irradiance will decrease more than predicted due to ozone recovery, whereas in other areas the effective decline will be less than predicted. In particular, Antarctic and other high latitude ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere may continue to be exposed to elevated UV levels during the growing season for the remainder of the 21st century. Understanding the combined impact of these changes in UV radiation and other climate change factors on terrestrial ecosystems therefore remains important. This symposium will assess the biological and ecosystem effects of these past and predicted changes in UV radiation. In particular it will address how UV induced changes at the plant level can have profound effects on both above and belowground ecosystem processes..

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym024: Interactions Between Abiotic And Biotic Stress - Susceptibility Of Drought-Affected Plants To Pest And Disease
Organiser: Dr Erik Veneklaas - University Of Western Australia

Plants in their natural environment are engaged in a continuous struggle with competitors, pests and pathogens. A large array adaptations has evolved to reduce the impact of these threats, including constitutive and induced mechanisms. The level of expression of these mechanisms often depends on growing conditions which in turn affect plant condition. The composition of plant communities, as well as their associated microbial and faunal communities, is the outcome of ecological interactions. The intensity and sometimes even direction of these interactions will change when environments change, e.g. through climate change. Thus, the indirect effects of climate change on communities, through altered patterns in biotic interactions, may be as important as the direct physiological impact of climatic shifts. Such effects can lead to changes in plant condition, growth rate and survival probability, and will therefore lead to shifts in species abundances and community composition. An example of this process is the impact of the mountain pine beetle and associated fungi after long summers in western North America. A possible Australian example may be the poor health of a number of prominent eucalypt species in the south-west of Australia, where annual rainfall is now 10-20% below the long-term mean. A native borer and two presumed native fungal pathogens have been implicated in observed tree decline phenomena. This symposium aims to make progress in identifying the likely impacts of drought on susceptibility of plants to pest and disease. It will bring together plant physiologists, pathologists and ecologists to advance conceptually and present case studies that are relevant to our understanding of this topic.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym025: Evolutionary Ecology Of Adaptation During Plant Invasion
Organiser: Kevin Rice

One of the cornerstones of evolutionary biology is the study of adaptation to ecological factors that vary over space and time. The establishment and spread of invasive plants often occurs across heterogeneous environments and over relatively short timescales and therefore can provide novel and important insights into the study of contemporary evolution. Moreover, invasive plants share at least three common characteristics that make them excellent study systems to address questions in ecology and evolution. First, they are often widespread and abundant, allowing for large sample sizes in field surveys of natural variation. Second, many invaders have relatively short generation times, high survival rates, and high fecundity under a range of environmental conditions, making them easy to propagate for use in laboratory and field experiments. Finally, introduced populations that spread across geographical gradients in climatic or soil characteristics are likely exposed to divergent natural selection, increasing the probability of detecting adaptive plasticity or the contemporary evolution of local adaptation. Thus, biological invasions provide novel opportunities to gain new insight into evolutionary processes, and this may help to improve management strategies of natural plant populations.  Despite these new opportunities, most studies of invasive species have focused on quantifying ecological impacts and on the factors underlying successful establishment and spread. Studies testing even basic evolutionary hypotheses in invasive species are still relatively uncommon. The goal of this symposium is to bring together researchers who use experimental approaches to test fundamental questions about the evolutionary ecology of invasive plants. In particular, we will examine the following avenues of research: (i) combining neutral genetic markers with quantitative traits to study adaptive vs. stochastic evolution (i.e. genetic drift and founder effects) over large spatial scales; (ii) using modern genomics to genetically map and identify genes relevant to the establishment and spread of invasive plants; (iii) quantifying natural selection and adaptive evolution associated with plant invasions; (iv) identifying changes in the adaptive landscape caused by variability in population size and structure over the time course of plant invasions; (v) testing for constraints on the evolution of local adaptive during invasion; (vi) examining the role of plasticity as an adaptive response during establishment and spread.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym026: Algae And Environmental Change - Impacts And Opportunities
Organiser: Prof John Beardall - Monash University

Algae dominate diverse aquatic habitats from freshwaters to coastal marine and open ocean habitats and from tropical to polar regions.  These environments are being affected by global climate change processes, and other anthropogenic environmental impacts but the effects on aquatic plants and algae are poorly understood.  While we lack aquatic equivalents to large scale FACE type experiments used to examine effects of elevated CO2 on terrestrial ecosystems, some predictions of environmental change effects on algae can be made based on physiological understanding and smaller scale mesocosm experiments.  The symposium will present the current understanding of the effects of environmental change on algae, encompassing algal productivity, species diversity (including the possibility of altered frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms) and role of algae in atmospheric feedback processes.  Freshwater and coastal algae will probably be affected by changing nutrient availability related to terrestrial processes and atmospheric deposition.  Physiological experiments suggest that CO2 effects on algae need to be considered in context with supply of other limiting nutrients.  Algae will also be affected by the impacts of elevated atmospheric CO2 on global water chemistry.  In the marine environment this is termed ocean acidification.  Ocean acidification has two major influences on algae: a change in organic carbon production, and for calcified algae (e.g. coccolithophores, coralline red algae) a variation in inorganic carbon precipitation.  Since coccolithophores are significant global producers of dimethyl sulfide, negative effects of ocean acidification on these algae would decrease inputs of the cloud condensation nuclei-producing gas, affecting global albedo  In addition to environmental change effects on algae, they also offer possible options for CO2 mitigation (e.g. iron fertilization of iron-deficient areas of the Southern Ocean), for wastewater bioremediation, and to address fossil fuel dependence through the production of more sustainable biofuels.  Symposium presentations will address the current status of and different approaches to growing algae for biofuels, along with current challenges and assessment of future potential.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
Sym027: Fungal Symbioses In Cryptogamic Land Plants
Organiser: Dr Marcus Lehnert - State Museum For Natural History Stuttgart

The symposium offers a platform for the fast advancing research of fungal symbionts in cryptogamic land plants (liverworts, mosses, hornworts, lycophytes, & ferns). Topics may include the development and function of the mycothallus, the characteristics of the fungal colonization in the gametophytic stage across the different plants groups, the transition from mycothalli to mycorrhizae, and the significance of the symbiosis on the evolution and ecology of each partner.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM126: Self-Incompatibility: Population Genetics, Evolution, And Ecology
Organiser: Dr Simon Hiscock - University Of Bristol

Mating systems hold a special fascination for biologists because they are largely responsible for generating patterns of natural genetic diversity and the development and maintenance of reproductive barriers between species. In particular, the self-incompatibility (SI) systems of flowering plants, which prevent self-fertilization and fertilization between genetically related individuals, have long intrigued researchers interested in genetic polymorphism. This interest has been fuelled by the fact that SI systems typically have a relatively simple genetic control, usually based on a single genetic locus (S), which makes mating behaviour highly tractable.  The highly polymorphic S locus contains at least one pistil-expressed gene and one pollen-expressed gene linked tightly to form a non-recombining S haplotype (‘allele’). Female and male factors from the same S haplotype interact specifically to initiate the SI response thereby preventing fertilization. Polymorphism at the S locus is maintained by strong negative frequency-dependent selection, which favours new or rare S haplotypes because they are compatible with a greater proportion of the potential mates in a population. The rate at which S haplotypes accumulate is limited by their slow evolution, which requires coordinated mutations in both the male and female S genes. Nevertheless, empirical studies of wild SI species have identified large numbers of S haplotypes in populations, ranging from 15 to 193.  SI systems fall into two major classes: in gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI), the S phenotype of the pollen is determined by its own haploid (gametophytic) genome, whereas in sporophytic self-incompatibility (SSI), the pollen S phenotype is determined by the diploid S genotype of the parental plant (sporophyte). The major consequence of this difference is that GSI requires strict codominance between S haplotypes in the pistil to ensure SI whereas in SSI complex S haplotype dominance interactions are possible among both pollen and pistil genes.  This symposium will explore the population genetics, evolution, and ecology of SI systems in natural populations. Particular focus will be given to: (i) the selective forces maintaining SI and S haplotype diversity, (ii) the molecular basis and maintenance of S haplotype dominance in SSI, (iii) the evolution of self-compatibility (SC), and (iv) the ecology and maintenance of mixed SI/SC mating systems. 

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM127: Genetics, Demography And Conservation Of Rare And Endangered Plants
Organiser: Brian Murray - University Of Auckland

The long-term viability of populations of many rare and endangered species depends on a through understanding of several key parameters relating to their genetic structure, reproductive behaviour and demography. The proposed symposium will bring together speakers with diverse but complementary interests, all of which should contribute to a better understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of plant conservation. The extent of genetic variation is one key feature but this needs to be assessed and understood at a number of levels that includes not only the measurement of genetic marker diversity but also the extent of chromosome variation. The nature of the breeding system also needs to be taken into account, both in self-compatible groups in relation to the importance of inbreeding dpression and, in species with obligate outbreeding systems, where mate limitation may combine to reduce the setting of viable seed. This is also interrelated with the recruitment of individuals into populations. A further key factor is the nature and extent of hybridization, either between rare species and their more widespread congeners or between invasive species and related rare indigenous ones. 

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM149: Community And Ecosystem Genetics: The Extended Genetic Effects Of Plant Species
Organiser: Dr Julianne O'Reilly-Wapstra - University of Tasmania

This symposium will bring together a series of papers that detail the long reaching effects of genes in dominant plant species on associated communities and ecosystems. This new field of research in evolutionary ecology shows that genes may extend beyond their immediate phenotype to indirectly affect the distribution, phenotype and evolution of other species, as well as ecosystem processes. This phenomenon has so far been demonstrated in a few dominant genera including Eucalyptus and Populus. This research field extends contemporary evolutionary frameworks by recognising that organisms are embedded not only in a complex abiotic environment, but also a matrix of interacting species in which the phenotype of one organism is the environment of another. The numbers of potential interactions involved in nature are enormous and the impact of these may vary with species and phenotypic trait (e.g. plant secondary metabolites). Understanding how these extended effects may impact on associated communities and ecosystems has consequences, not only for our understanding of evolutionary processes in nature, but on the choice of species and  populations  for planting in widespread commercial forestry ventures and restoration programs. We welcome abstracts from any papers that focus on the extended genetic effects of plant traits on associated communities and ecosystem processes.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM150: Diversity, Ecology And Evolution Of Extrafloral Nectaries
Organiser: Dr Brigitte Marazzi - University of Arizona

Extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are nectar-secreting organs on plant parts external to flowers. EFNs occur in over 90 angiosperm families, and even some ferns, and display an amazing diversity in morphology, density and location on the plant, nectar production, and ecological role; there is much still to be learned about all these phenomena. Plants with EFNs occur in a wide range of vegetations and climates, from tropical forests to deserts, all over the world. EFNs commonly attract ants and other beneficial arthropods that feed on the nectar and, in return, protect the plant from herbivores, thus forming a protective mutualism. Some EFNs may also function to divert ants from flowers, or to attract pollinators to flowers that have no nectaries. The evolutionary history of EFNs is complex and little known, although EFNs most likely evolved along with the diversification of the main ant lineages. EFNs seem to be important not only for ants, but also for arthropod communities (herbivores, predators, and parasitoids) in general. Such EFN-based interactions have been shown to shape the ecology of entire ecosystems, and may have played a role in triggering the diversification of some plant lineages. The present symposium is the first in over a decade to bring together from all over the world experts working on different aspects of EFN biology. The major aim of the symposium is to present new insights into the diversity, ecology and evolution of EFNs, to highlight gaps in our current knowledge, and to outline future research directions. The contributions of this symposium may be considered for publication in a special issue of a selected botanical journal.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM158: Ecology, Environment and Conservation of Bryophytes
Organiser: Lars Söderström

Global-scale changes, not only of climate but also in land usage, etc., form a great threat to many species, including bryophytes. In order to actively to conserve bryophytes we need to know which species are threatened, by what, and how to most efficiently and effectively intervene. This symposium aims to identify high biodiversity areas and habitats, and to exchange experiences and ideas on how best to proceed with our work to prevent bryophyte extinctions.

The presentations in this symposium will provide an overview of the diversity and conservation of bryophytes, studies of examples of habitats that are species rich or provide a challenge for species survival, a contribution on how to select species for most effective conservation, and talks on practical conservation with a regional focus.

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM163: Medicinal Plants
Organiser: Hans Lambers and Andrew Young

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM164: Environmental Adaptation
Organiser: Hans Lambers and Andrew Young

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM165: Plant Invasions
Organiser: Hans Lambers and Andrew Young

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM166: Plant Conservation - General
Organiser: Hans Lambers and Andrew Young

T01: Ecology, Environmental Change & Conservation
SYM167: Plant Conservation - Population biology
Organiser: Hans Lambers and Andrew Young

T02: Economic Botany Incl.Biotechnology, Agriculture & Plant B
Sym028: Novel Approaches To Engineering C4 Photosynthesis Into C3 Crops
Organiser: Dr Rowan Sage - University Of Toronto

One of the grand challenges in plant biology has been the engineering of C4 photosynthesis into C3 crops. With the realization that C4 photosynthesis has evolved over 50 times, there is now a sense that C4 evolution is not overly difficult, and thus the engineering of C4 photosynthesis into a C3 plant will be feasible.  With this in mind, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has spearheaded an international effort to engineer C4 photosynthesis into rice. The program is capitalizing on recent advances in high-throughput genomic, metabolomic and phenomic screening to develop a comprehensive systems approach to C4 engineering.  This symposium will highlight the results obtained in the first three years of a the program, where the primary goal has been discovery of the genes controlling the expression of C4 photosynthesis, and building the molecular toolbox to introduce these genes into C3 crops. Topics will include assembling multiple gene arrays to move a full C4 metabolic cycle in rice, comparative genome analysis of related pairs of C3 and C4 species from the natural lineages, gene discovery via screening mutants in high and low CO2 conditions, and modeling the integrative C4 system.

T02: Economic Botany Incl.Biotechnology, Agriculture & Plant B
Sym030: Resource Use Efficient Plants And Crop Systems
Organiser: A/Prof Susanne  Schmidt - The University Of Queensland

To achieve sustainability, conversion of agricultural and other bioproduction systems from 'high input-high yield' systems to resource use efficient systems is required. Approaches span from crop breeding and physiology, plant-soil interface to whole-systems. This symposium will present an overview of recent advances in resource use efficiency in bioproduction.

T02: Economic Botany Incl.Biotechnology, Agriculture & Plant B
Sym031: Organic Molecules In Plant Nutrient Acquisition: Forest To Crop System
Organiser: A/Prof Susanne  Schmidt - The University Of Queensland

There is recent evidence that organic molecules including amino acids, peptides and nucleotides enter roots and serve as nutrient sources and signalling molecules. This symposium bring together new views on the role of transporter proteins, uptake processes, effects on root structure and ecological significance of organic molecules, bridging between ecology and agriculture.

T02: Economic Botany Incl.Biotechnology, Agriculture & Plant B
Sym032: Engineering Crops For The Future
Organiser: Prof Prem Bhalla - The University Of Melbourne

The world population is currently increasing by around 100 million per year and is expected to exceed 10 billion by 2050, with a concomitant requirement to double the food produced from the same amount of arable land. In addition, an upward trend (2.4-fold increase) in per-capita income, with resulting changes in dietary requirements, has been forecasted. To ensure global, political and social stability, increasing sustainable food production, equitably, without compromising environmental integrity remains a major challenge. Genetic engineering offers the opportunity to increase the efficiency of food production by avoiding losses due to disease and pests, by increasing tolerance under adverse conditions and breeding crops with novel desirable characteristics, such as reduced allergenicity, improved nutritional qualities, hybrid seed production and improved plant productivity These enhancements cannot be achieved by conventional breeding methods alone.  Plant biotechnology has made significant advancements during the past decade, and several crops are now grown commercially. Globally, the area covered by genetically modified (GM) crops increased from 1.7 million hectares to 90 million hectares between 1996 and 2005, with an increasing proportion grown in developing countries. The dominant GM crops are currently soybean, corn, cotton and canola. Furthermore, engineered traits, such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance, have resulted in a significant reduction in herbicide and insecticide use. The increased hectarage and the adoption of GM crops by five major developing countries (China, India, Argentina, Brazil and South Africa) have implications for the future use and acceptance of GM crops worldwide. In addition, GM crops are also being explored as a pharmaceutical production platform.  Though, this year marks the 10 years of sequencing of model plant, Arabidopsis but progress on crop plants has been slow.  For example, sequence information of major crops such as soybean was released earlier this year.  While, the use of the model plant Arabidopsis has helped the rapid advances in plant biology frontiers but there are significant challenges in translating knowledge gained from research from a model plants such as Arabidopsis to crop plants, and in developing new technologies that are directly applicable to crop plants. Therefore, the proposed symposium will focus discussions on recent advances on designing crop plants to meet the future challenges.

T02: Economic Botany Incl.Biotechnology, Agriculture & Plant B
Sym034: Crops For A Changing Climate In A High Carbondioxide World
Organiser: Dr Michael Tausz - University Of Melbourne

T02: Economic Botany Incl.Biotechnology, Agriculture & Plant B
Sym035: New Crops For A New Climate
Organiser: Dr Roslyn Gleadow - Monash University

Producing enough food to meet the needs of an increasing global population is one of the greatest challenges we currently face. The increases need to be achieved using less arable land and under a looming shortage of fertilizers. The issue of food security is further complicated by the direct effects of elevated CO2, temperature and drought on food composition. This symposium will focus on challenges in developing crops tailored for the new environmental and atmospheric challenges. Presentations will examine all strategies from new genetic technologies, agricultural practice and ecophysiology.

T02: Economic Botany Incl.Biotechnology, Agriculture & Plant B
Sym036: Exploiting Root:Soil Interactions To Minimize Impacts Of Below-Ground Stress On Food Production
Organiser: Prof Bill Davies - Lancaster University

Improving the resource use efficiency of the world’s major crops is clearly key to deliver a safe, secure supply of food to a rising global population. A recent report has advocated the “sustainable intensification of agriculture” while minimising harmful impacts on cropping ecosystems (Royal Society, 2009). It is incumbent on plant scientists to deliver this goal. One major area of crop improvement that has hitherto been comparatively neglected is the role of the plant root system in maximising resource (water, nutrients) capture and coping with environmental stresses (water deficit, nutrient imbalances, high temperature, soil compaction). It is also important to recognise that the rhizosphere (the area of the soil adjacent to plant roots) is a biological hotspot and that rhizosphere organisms can play major roles in plant resource capture and ameliorating plant stress. This symposium aims to understand the mechanisms by which plants capture resources, sense and respond to changes in the soil physical environment, how they communicate this information to the shoot to regulate water use and crop yield, and how this knowledge can be exploited to maximize agricultural profit while sustainably using resources. Considerable genetic variation in root architecture has been demonstrated in major crop species, especially via root phenotyping platforms, and is now being use to overcome mineral and water deficiency (Lynch / Brown). Soil salinity is an increasing global  agricultural problem, and the root system has a key role in determining genetic variation in both crop ion accumulation and response to the accompanying osmotic stress. Root-to-shoot hormonal signalling appears to be important in co-ordinating root and shoot adaptation to salinity (Asins / Perez-Alfocea). Considerable genetic variation also exists in root growth response to high temperature, and root proteomics is an emergent area to understand the key changes in biochemistry regulating this response (Huang / He). Of the major stresses impacting on crop yield, perhaps the greatest yield losses are caused by drought (Boyer 1982). Soil drying decreases soil matric potential and dramatically increases soil strength. New phenotyping techniques offer the opportunity to select for greater tolerance to soil strength, and to understand the underlying biochemistry (Masle / Whalley). While many plants are rainfed, irrigated agriculture contributes significantly to world food production, yet climate change and competition for water with other users will ensure that much of future agriculture applies deficit irrigation, when crops will receive less water than considered optimal. Research has shown that heterogeneous placement of available water (partial rootzone drying) alters root-to-shoot signalling to ensure crop water use is restricted, and to maximise crop yield per unit of water applied (Loveys / Zhang / Kang). Since different chemical signals control water use and growth, reconciling these agricultural objectives may require retention of signalling that restricts water use, with selective attenuation of signalling that restricts growth. Although this can be achieved by genetic modification, an alternative is 'rhizosphere engineering', using naturally occurring soil-borne bacteria that produce or break down the same chemical signals used by plants (Davies / Dodd / Belimov / Kudoyarova).

T02: Economic Botany Incl.Biotechnology, Agriculture & Plant B
SYM152: Reproductive Development And Yield Potential In Cereals
Organiser: Prof Steve Swain - CSIRO

Increases in the productivity of the major cereal crops rice, corn and wheat is essential as the growth in world population is predicted to increasingly exceed crop production over the next two decades. It is expected that by 2025 an increase of food productivity of more than 50% will be necessary to feed the predicted world population of 8 billion, and this task is made even harder by the predicted impacts of climate change. To achieve this increase without greatly increasing the amount of land and other resources used for farming will require a sophisticated understanding of the reproductive biology underlying critical components of crop production combined with the most powerful approaches for crop improvement. From the Australian perspective, this will require step changes in the productivity of our most important crop, wheat. Over the last two decades enormous scientific advances have been made in defining the molecular basis of plant reproduction, particularly in the model plant Arabidopsis. Similar rapid progress is now being made in cereals, particularly rice and maize, crops which are benefiting from expanding genome information and well-developed genetic tools. Despite this continuing exponential increase in biological information, progress in increasing yield by genetic improvement of the major cereal crops is slowing rather than accelerating. To achieve increases in food production it is essential to better translate emerging fundamental knowledge of plant reproduction into improved crop production. The proposed Symposia will bring together some of the top international experts working on aspects of plant reproductive biology relevant to improving cereal yield potential. The symposium will foster the exchange of information and know-how and the injection of new ideas and approaches to crop improvement. The keynote speakers will be specialist in different aspects of reproductive biology to provide a good overview of the current status of research, and in particular to highlight recent advances in understanding the components of plant reproduction that currently constrain cereal yield.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym037: The Eucalyptus Genome
Organiser: Prof William Foley - Australian National University

The final (8X) genome sequence of the Eucalyptus genome (E. grandis) will be released in early 2010 and resequencing of other species (e.g. E. globulus) has already started.  This Symposium will describe the genome and highlight research in based on the genome in several diverse areas (e.g. genome structure; evolutionary relationships and plant defense).  Given that this will be the first genome of an Australian plant and only the second tree genome to be assembled, we expect there to be significant interest from many participants. The group of speakers nominated is simply a subset of those involved in promoting the sequencing effort.  It is quite possible that there would be additional names added to the list of presenters as people start to work with the data over the next year.  The aim of the Symposium would be to give an overview of very recent studies that have built on the genomic resources and to encourage others to do so.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym038: Plant Genomes: Not Just For Models Anymore
Organiser: Dr Aaron Liston - Oregon State University

Massively parallel DNA sequencing can produce over a billion base pairs of data per day, and this high throughput has dramatically lowered the cost of genome sequencing. This symposium will feature scientists who are applying this revolutionary technology to a diversity of plant genomes.  Their talks will highlight several different topics that have been benefited from genome sequencing including the evolution of flowering plants, crop domestication, hybridization, ecology of invasive species, resolution of species relationships, and our understanding of biological diversity.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym039: Regulatory Mechanisms And Evolution Of Apomixis
Organiser: Dr Elvira Hoerandl - University Of Vienna

The evolution and regulatory mechanisms of apomixis (asexual reproduction by seed) remain poorly understood. Apomixis is a complex trait, and may rely on a de-regulation of genes controlling the sexual pathway. The proposed symposium is intended to address conceptually and methodically new avenues for elucidating the functionality of apomixis. The analysis of model systems with natural apomixis and sexuality is most promising for understanding the functionality of apomixis. Genetic mapping of apomixis components is providing insights into inheritance patterns, and comparative transcriptomics studies of sexual and apomictic plants are revealing genome-wide differential gene expression patterns. New insights are expected from whole genome sequencing projects. The comparison of different model systems from various plant families will answer questions concerning a possible shared functional background of apomixis among angiosperms. This symposium will further generate new insights into the evolutionary pathways of natural apomixis. The evolutionary connection of polyploidy and hybridization to apomixis is of special interest for understanding the origins of apomixis in natural populations. A fundamental understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of apomixis may be crucial for introducing this trait into crops.  Once accomplished, apomixis will provide new and significant opportunities for plant breeding.  The session coordinators are Elvira Hörandl, Tim Sharbel and John Carman.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym040: Marchantia As A Model For Evolutionary And Developmental Biology
Organiser: Ms Sandra Floyd - Monash Univeristy

The liverworts are the sister group to all other land plants and therefore occupy a critical phylogenetic position for understanding the origin and evolution of land plants. Microfossil remains are the earliest evidence attributed of land plants and have been widely attributed to liverworts or liverwort-like plants, due to similarities with extant Marchantia. In addition to its key position in land phylogeny, Marchantia has a number of characteristics that have made it an attractive model system in plant biology for nearly 100 years. Studies of Marchantia therefore have the potential to give us insight into the biology of the earliest land plants. In this symposium we will present an overview of the emerging importance of Marchantia as a model system for land plant evolutionary and developmental biology. We will introduce the genome of Marchantia which will be an important new source of data for plant comparative genomics and describe the tools that have been developed for analyzing gene function in Marchantia.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym041: Learning From The Extremists: 21st Century Approaches To Understanding Plant Stress Tolerance
Organiser: Prof John Cheeseman - University Of Illinois

Throughout the world, 25 years after John Boyer’s call to action [Science 218: 443-448 (1982)], abiotic stress is the major, and ever increasing, limitation on productivity of food and energy crops.  Even with the advent of the genomic era, and even with economic incentive to find “silver bullet” genes that will convey stress tolerance to crops, progress in understanding the fundamental biology of stress responses remains slow.  One key obstacle to progress in understanding at the most fundamental, genomic levels, just how plants do or can cope with stress is the fact that all of the current well-characterized genomes are of plants adapted to and dependent on abundant resources. Plants adapted to extreme conditions – those with successful environmental response strategies –  have been significantly under-utilized.  Despite the immense advancement in our understanding of plant systems brought about by the use of model plants, funding agencies throughout the world are now recognizing that model systems have limitations.  Nextgen genomic and transcriptomic sequencing, assembly and comparative analysis are being used to explore the most genetic basis for different responses.  Proteomic and metabolomic analyses are going beyond analysis of expressed genes to their much less tractable reflection in protein and metabolite complements, even at the tissue and cellular levels.  Together, these studies are informed by and informing physiology. Slowly but increasingly, the results at multiple levels are big incorporated into network analyses or systems biology models.  The goal of this symposium will be to bring together contributors who can speak to different aspects of this progress.  The final speaker will address network/systems models and their implementation for defining future directions.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym042: Developmental Genetics And Cell Biology Of Marchantia Polymorpha
Organiser: Mr John Bowman - Monash University

Marchantia polymorpha is becoming a significant new model system for understanding plant development and function that can yield insight into fundamental aspects of land plant biology and evolution. The symposium Marchantia as a Model for Evolutionary and Developmental Biology presented the overview of new genomic and genetic tools as well as evolutionary studies centered on Marchantia. In this companion symposium, students and postdoctoral researchers from six research groups around the world will present new and exciting results highlighting research into a variety of important aspects of Marchantia growth and development, including auxin biology, tissue patterning, and cell biology. These talks not only will provide insight into plant biology, but will also highlight the utility of Marchantia polymorpha as a model for understanding basic plant biology.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym045: Crassulacean Acid Metabolism: Functional And Comparative Genomics
Organiser: Prof John Cushman - University Of Nevada

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), one the three major pathways of net CO2 assimilation, is found in about 7% of all angiosperm species and is an important metabolic adaptation that improves water use efficiency about 5- and 10-fold relative to plants that perform C4 and C3 photosynthesis, respectivly. Global climate change models predict that the earth's most productive agricultural lands will become hotter and drier, conditions under which CAM species are known to display a competitive advantage. Although the biochemical sequence of CAM is well understood, the molecular genetic mechanisms that control the evolutionary appearance, circadian clock regulation, and response to environmental stimuli that trigger this adaptation to water availability are poorly understood. However, recent advances in DNA sequencing technology are rapidly changing the context in which this ecophysiological adaptation is studied. For example, large-scale genome and transcriptome sequencing projects are underway for diverse CAM model species from within the Aizoaceae, Crassulaceae, Agavaceae, and Orchidaceae.  Results from such studies will reveal the molecular basis for optimizing carbon fixation strategies in semi-arid environments and open the way for comparative analysis of the convergent evolution of CAM in lineages that have evolved the pathway completely independently. It is thus an extremely exciting time for research on CAM functional and comparative genomics, and this symposium will bring together some of the leading researchers in this field at a key juncture in this new push to understand the molecular basis for CAM.  The following major topical themes will be covered:  Signaling and environmental plasticity:  CAM is known to be both developmentally and environmentally regulated. Thus, the symposium speakers will provide an opportunity to explore the many different factors and their integration that are required for CAM expression and the economic and fitness consequences of misexpression of these factors.  Molecular evolution and diversity:  Several large-scale molecular-phylogenetic studies within extensively sampled families have used carbon-isotopic ratio measurement to map the occurrence of CAM within an evolutionary context. Such studies set the phylogenetic framework for detailed investigations into the molecular mechanisms required for the evolutionary progression from C3 photosynthesis to CAM.  Transcriptomics and comparative genomics:  Recent technical advances in DNA sequencing technologies have resulted in an explosion in genomic and transcriptomic data for key CAM model species.  Such information is leading to the identification of new genes that contribute to the establishment and temporal regulation of the biochemical machinery of CAM.  Such information is also providing novel insights into the molecular regulation of CAM by the circadian clock and environmental perturbations.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym046: Using Molecular Genetics And Bioinformatics To Elucidate Cell Wall Proteins And Their Biosynthesis
Organiser: Dr Allan Showalter - Ohio University

This symposium will present recent developments in the study of plant cell wall proteins and the enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis. The symposium will focus on the use of molecular genetics in examining mutants for cell wall proteins and for the enzymes involved in their biosyntheis. The symposium will also focus on bioinformatic approaches to reveal and classify cell wall proteins and their associated biosynthetic enzymes. The research presented here will provide insight to the biosynthetic mechanisms and functional roles associated with cell wall proteins.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym048: Bio-Ontologies For Plant Science
Organiser: Dr Ramona Walls - New York Botanical Garden

The age of “omics” is the age of mass information. Complete genomes for at least 40 plant species have been generated or are in progress (Joint Genome Institute: http://www.jgi.doe.gov/genome-projects), and new EST, QTL, and other genomic data sets are being generated continuously. All this information creates exciting new possibilities for comparative developmental, genetic, and genomic studies but comes with the challenge of integrating data from disparate sources. Biological ontologies (bio-ontologies) have become an indispensable tool for organizing and accessing the massive amounts of genomic/genetic data being created and for insuring the consistent use of vocabulary across taxa and disciplines. An ontology is a structured vocabulary, containing terms, attributes of terms, and relationships among terms. Bio-ontologies are used for the systematic annotation (or ‘tagging’) of data, documenting associations between genes, gene products, and sequences and the structures, processes, and functions to which they contribute. This symposium provides an overview of the bio-ontologies available to plant scientists as well as the current and potential uses of these ontologies.  In conjunction with the symposium, the organizers would like to conduct outreach activities to engage research groups that are working in genomic/genetic data generation and analysis. These include an annotation workshop and hands-on demonstrations of the Plant Ontology. Although many groups working on the genomics of well-studied model organisms are already actively involved in ontology use, those working on non-model species may not be taking advantage of the resources offered by bio-ontologies. We aim to engage a broader user base through this symposium, anticipating that advances in comparative genomics will require concerted annotation efforts and collaboration throughout the plant science community.  The symposium will begin with an introduction to bio-ontologies and ontologies in general. This talk will describe what ontologies are, how they work, and the existing bio-ontologies that are relevant to plant sciences. It will include information on the ongoing efforts to increase interoperability among ontologies within the framework of the OBO (Open Biomedical Ontologies) Foundry. The next two talks will describe the bio-ontologies most widely used by plant scientists to study gene expression: the Gene Ontology (GO) and the Plant Ontology (PO). The GO consists of 3 sub-ontologies – cellular components, biological processes, and molecular functions – that are applicable to all living organism and are in broad use by the genomics community. The PO contains ontologies for plant structures as well as plant growth and developmental stages, with terms that are applicable to all plants, from algae to angiosperms. Each of these talks will provide sufficient information to allow audience members to access and begin using the ontologies. The three remaining talks will focus on applications of bio-ontologies, including studies that have used ontologies in their analyses and reports from organizations that are developing organism-specific ontologies to advance their agendas. We have several prospective speakers for this part of the symposium, but welcome participation from other presenters who are working in ontology development or applications.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym123: The Role Of Heritable Epigenetic Variation In Plant Evolution
Organiser: Dr Ovidiu Paun - Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

For the last century, our understanding of evolution has been based on the Modern Synthesis, assuming that natural selection is acting solely on the amount and structuring of chance genetic variation retaining individuals according to their fitness in a particular environment. Accordingly, genetic uniformity is expected to severely constrain adaptive flexibility, eventually resulting in evolutionary failure. Slowly accumulating blind mutations in genes (DNA-sequences) have been the only accepted causal agent for novel natural variation. However, natural selection ultimately targets phenotypic variation. The neoDarwinian evolutionary framework has recently been deemed incomplete by the discovery that heritable phenotypic variation could be achieved via a suite of non-genetic changes under environmental influence, even in the complete absence of genetic variability. Without altering the underlying DNA-sequence, epigenetic information influences the identity of cells and their response to the environment by modulating gene expression. The reality of epigenetic inheritance is now established and laboratory-based mechanistic understanding of epigenetics in model organisms is expanding rapidly. These exciting new findings indicate that, in addition to genetic information, alternative epialleles influence phenotypic outcomes and have the potential to affect both the process of adaptation and divergence. However, the likely importance of epigenetic inheritance and variation in evolution remains underrated. Epigenetics remain the focus of debate in evolutionary biology rather than the basis of large-scale, energetic research programmes. The prevalence of alternative epialleles in wild populations, and their significance to phenotypic variation, ecological interactions, and selection in real-world contexts are only now beginning to be explored. We know that heritable epialleles may mimic random genetic mutations in pathway and implications for evolution. However, epigenetic variations can be generated at a much higher rate than genetic ones, especially in rapidly changing environmental conditions. Other important (yet still theoretical) evolutionary implications of epigenetics concern the relaxation of the link between natural selection and recombination: environmental disruption may simultaneously induce several new advantageous epimutations in the same individual, in marked contrast with genetic expectations. What makes heritable epigenetic processes fundamentally different from genetic mechanisms is that they can be directly disrupted by environmental influences, which gives them a neoLamarkian flavor, permitting heritability of acquired characters. This symposium gathers together an array of outstanding scientists that will discuss the theoretical evolutionary implications of epigenetics and will provide empirical data to sustain their discussion. The broad presentations included will span multiple disciplines, including evolutionary biology, population biology, population epigenetics, plant ecological genetics, epi/genomics, molecular biology, developmental genetics and systems biology. This symposium will significantly improve the general understanding of the mechanisms underlying natural phenotypic variation and organismic adaptation strategies. Far-reaching conclusions will be drawn regarding the modifying the gene-centered view that still dominates our evolutionary thinking about variation, heritability, adaptation and evolution. Accordingly, our focus in the study of evolution should shift from single genes to developmental/regulatory networks and holistic phenotypes. Finally, we will discuss the urgent need to integrate epigenetics in population genetics, evolutionary biology and ecology, particularly in the context of the current ‘hot topic’ of changing global environmental conditions.

T03: Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
Sym157: The genetic and genomic consequences of polyploidy
Organisers: D. E. Soltis and P. S. Soltis

Recent genomic studies have established that flowering plant genomes are fundamentally polyploid. In fact, ,the question is no longer how many floewrings plants are polyploid, but how many events characterize any given lineage. Great strides have been made in understanding polyploidy or genome doubling, and the pace of discovery has accelerated as the importance of the phenomenon has become increasingly clear. Molecular studies have provided insights into the patterns of polyploid origins; genome sequences and genome-scale data have shown that polyploidy is far more prevalent than expected and has been a key force in shaping plant genomes; and studies of synthetic and recently formed natural polyploids have shown that polyploidy can have immediate and profound genetic and epigenetic consequences. We now realize that polyploidy often leads to unexpected and unexplained departures from the prediction of genomic additivity. These include rapid gene loss, modification of methylation patterns, and nonreciprocal chromosomal exchanges. These phenomena may be viewed as novel generators of genomic variation. We provide examples of how recent research has transformed our understanding of polyploid evolution.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
Sym049: Plant Hydraulic Systems: Structure And Function
Organiser: Dr H. Jochen Schenk - California State University Fullerton and Brendan Choat - Australian National University

Until recently, most biologists saw water transport in plants as a topic for the textbooks, its driving forces and mechanisms well understood, and only minor details of the process left to be clarified.  The xylem, which constitutes most of the hydraulic system, was considered to be essentially dead tissue, its living cells merely for storage, and introduction of air embolisms into the hydraulic system thought of as a problem that plants had to avoid at all costs. Embolism repair was considered to be possible only under positive pressure, a condition unlikely to occur in hydraulic systems of most plants.  Research over the last 15 years has thoroughly upended these views.  Water transport through the xylem now is known to depend on a delicate interaction between the living and dead cells.  Embolisms are observed to occur constantly in response to water stress and freeze-thaw cycles, and embolism repair has been found to occur even when hydraulic systems are under negative pressure.  These developments have made plant hydraulics a vibrant field of research, including many Australian researchers, and we therefore believe that the International Botanical Congress in Melbourne should not be without a symposium on structure and function of plant hydraulic systems.  Based on recent developments in the field, we propose to focus our symposium on two areas of research in plant hydraulics:  1. Formation and repair of embolisms; and 2. Hydraulic integration and connectivity in the xylem.  These two topics are very much related to each other, because connections between water-conducting elements allow spread of embolisms, while without abundant connections there can be no refilling or embolism repair.  Pit membrane connections between water conducting elements, including tracheids and vessels, and between these elements and non-conducting living parenchyma and non-living fiber cells, play key roles in this system.  Embolisms are thought to form mainly via air entry through pit membranes, which means that the structure and abundance of pits determine the resistance to embolism formation.  Yet, pit membranes are also entry points of water for embolism repair and possibly pathways for the removal of air from refilling tracheids or vessels.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
Sym050: Evolution And Ecophysiology Of C4 Grasses
Organiser: Dr Oula Ghannoum - University Of Western Sydney

Most terrestrial plants fix atmospheric CO2 into carbohydrate for growth via the C3 photosynthetic pathway.  About 4% of the world’s plant species fix CO2 via the specialized C4 pathway, yet contribute about 20% of global primary productivity.  The high productivity of C4 plants is due to the operation of a CO2-concentrating mechanism in their leaves which serves to suppress photorespiration in air. The C4 photosynthetic pathway is strongly represented in the grass (Poaceae) family, comprising about 50% of total grasses. C4 plants are grouped into three biochemical subtypes (NAD malic enzyme (NAD-ME), NADP malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK)) following the major C4 acid decarboxylation enzyme in the bundle sheath. The major C4 crops, such as maize, sugarcane and sorghum belong to the NADP-ME subtype. At the global level, the distribution of C4 grasses is related to minimal mean temperature. At the regional level, the geographic distribution of C4 grasses is strongly influenced by rainfall level. With decreasing rainfall (from 900 to 50 mm per annum), the abundance of NAD-ME grasses increases while that of NADP-ME grasses decreases. The distribution of PCK grasses is weakly correlated with rainfall gradient The C4 photosynthetic pathway has evolved as an adaptation to high photorespiratory pressures resulting from various combinations of stresses which include low atmospheric [CO2], high temperature, aridity and/or salinity. It is estimated that the C4 photosynthetic pathway has evolved independently some 45 times in 3 monocot and 16 dicot lineages. The evolution of C4 grasslands has historically been attributed to interactions between atmospheric CO2 levels, temperature, water/salinity stress and the specialised anatomical/biochemical traits necessary for the operation of the C4 pathway. However, emerging evidence and reinterpretation of older data is challenging this paradigm. This symposium will present the latest evidence from plant physiology/ecophysiology, stable isotope records, and molecular phologeny in order to develop a new synthesis of C4 evolution and ecology.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
Sym051: Plant-Rhizosphere Interactions
Organiser: Dr Ulrike Mathesius - Australian National University

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
Sym052: Regulation Of Phosphate Acquisition And Phosphorus Homeostasis In Plants
Organiser: Dr Ricarda Jost - The University of Western Australia

The acquisition of phosphate via the soil-root interface and its subsequent re-distribution within the plant to balance growth requirements of different organs and adjust to environmental stimuli has become a major research focus in plant biology. In recent years immense progress has been made in elucidating the molecular components of the phosphorus signalling network in plants. For instance the question of how plants maintain their phosphorus homeostasis has been addressed by a number of research groups leading to the identification of many components of the plant 'PHO regulon', with some similarities to the well established signalling network in yeast. However, there are distinct differences in how this network is organized due to the multicellular nature of plants and the requirement for long-distance signalling to coordinate phosphorus demand across the whole body of the plant. Feedback from the shoot phosphate status seems to be provided via various metabolites derived from carbon fixation and lipid turnover, as well as phytohormones but also via phloem-mobile microRNA species that seem to control phosphate uptake at the root surface as well as phosphate loading into the xylem stream. Progress in the field is vital to improving the phosphorus use efficiency of agricultural systems in the light of dwindling phosphorus reserves. This symposium will present the latest high-lights in this exciting area of research.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
Sym053: Regulation And Genetic Manipulation Of Nitrogen-Based Secondary Metabolism In Plants
Organiser: Prof John Diarmuid Hamill - Monash University

N-based secondary metabolism in plants represents a diverse array of metabolic pathways with relevance to model and non-model species - including many plants of agricultural and medicinal value.  Far from being considered as waste products as once was the case,  N-based secondary metabolites are now generally regarded as being essential for survival of host plants in their native environments.  This symposium will seek to highlight recent advances that have advanced our understanding of  the genetics, biochemistry and physiologcal importance of a range of N-based secondary metabolic pathways in plants.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
Sym054: Desiccation Tolerance; Molecular Mechanisms For Surviving Severe Water-Deficit
Organiser: Dr Alan Neale - Monash University

Resurrection plants constitute a versatile research tool for investigating desiccation-tolerance in vegetative plant tissue, and recent genetic studies have shed light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms mediating plant survival under severe water-deficit.  A number of genes orthologous to those isolated from resurrection plants have been successfully used to enhance drought and salt tolerance in model plants as well as important crop species.  In addition to the ability to desiccate and rehydrate successfully, the survival of resurrection plants in regions experiencing short sporadic rainfall events may depend substantially on the ability to tightly down-regulate growth related processes with decreasing water availability, and then grow rapidly after rainfall while water is plentiful.  Hence, an analysis of desiccation-tolerance mechanisms in resurrection plants has the potential to reveal strategies for protecting plants from water-loss and regulating growth rate and biomass production.  

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
Sym055: Structural Basis Of Function Of Plant Proteins
Organiser: Prof Bostjan Kobe - University Of Queensland

Three-dimensional structures of proteins from plants are under-represented in the Protein Data Bank, compared to mammalian and bacterial sources. In this symposium, my co-organizer Peter Dodds (CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra) and I aim to assemble six speakers (two suggested speakers are listed as examples below), who have been performing structural studies on proteins from plant sources, in particular on proteins with roles specific to plants, for example plant signalling, plant development, plant disease resistance and photosynthesis. The aims of organizing such as symposium are multiple, among others: drawing together the main players in this field; drawing attention to structural work in plant science and encouraging more research of the molecular and structural basis of cellular processes in plants; giving opportunity for oral presentation to researchers working in this field, which is often overshadowed by studies on medically relevant proteins in protein structure/function conferences; and identifying common obstacles that researchers face when performing structural and biochemical studies of plant proteins, and solutions to these, for example common difficulties with recombinant expression. We are hoping this proposal can still be considered.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
Sym124: Mycoheterotrophic Plants
Organiser: Dr Vincent Merckx - Laboratory Of Plant Systematics, K.U.Leuven, Dr Gehard Gebauer

Mycoheterotrophic plants are achlorophyllous and obtain all of their carbon requirements through symbiotic associations with fungi, mostly mycorrhizal fungi that are simultaneously linked with surrounding green plants. Historically, mycoheterotrophic plants were often incorrectly described as ‘saprophytes’, under the assumption that they obtained nourishment directly from soil organic matter. These exceptional plants have long attracted the curiosity of biologists, and they have been the target of unabated controversies and speculation. Recent methodological developments in molecular and plant physiological ecology have lead to significant advances in our understanding of the mycoheterotrophic symbiosis. DNA sequencing assists in clearing the puzzling systematic relationships of mycoheterotrophic species as well as identifying their associated fungi. The application of stable isotope natural abundance profiles provide insights into the nutrient sources of mycoheterotrophic plants and has lead to the discovery of partially mycoheterotrophic plants. Direct investigations of carbon and water exchanges, including radioactive labeling experiments, also contribute to refining our knowledge of the physiology of mycoheterotrophs. In addition to an improved understanding of the biology of these rare and often threatened plants, the results of these investigations also have a broad impact on plant evolution and ecology in general. Mycoheterotrophs offer powerful models for understanding the mycorrhizal symbiosis and evolutionary trends towards achlorophylly. In this symposium we present examples of the considerable progress has been made in terms of understanding the systematic relationships, evolutionary history, ecology, and physiology of mycoheterotrophic plants.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
SYM145: Evolution Of Plant Secondary Metabolites - Phylogeny And Chemoinformatics.
Organiser: Dr Nina Rønsted - University Of Copenhagen

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
SYM151: Plants as concept generators for biomimetic materials and structures with hierarchical organisation
Organiser: Dr Tom Masselter - University Of Freiburg, Germany and Thomas Speck

In the course of evolution, plants have developed a hierarchically organisation on at least five levels: in the stem, the tissues, the cells, the cell wall structure and the biochemical level. These hierarchies are also expressed by gradients in the tissues and the presence of sublevels (e.g. groups of fibrous bundles-fibrous bundles-fibres) and hold responsible for beneficial mechanical properties like a benign fracture behavior, an optimized vibration damping or impact damping, high bending stiffness, heat insulation, avoidance of notch stresses and delamination as well as actuation and self-adaptation properties. Therefore, analysing the hierarchical organisation in plants is a major key toward understanding the morphological-mechanical relationships in the natural structures and for assessing the potential for technical implementation. Over the last few years, it has been shown in a multitude of biomimetic projects that such a translation into technical products is feasible. However, the hierarchical organisation that is found in the biological concept generators has only been incorporated in a small part of technical materials and structures.

As a result, (1) the identification of the biomimetic potential by functional morphology and biomechanics and (2) the abstraction of the identified principles remains one of the future challenges for developing innovative products. The focus of the symposium is on projects that combine these two approaches.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
SYM153: Strigolactones: New Developments In A New Hormone Field
Organiser: Dr Elizabeth Dun - The University Of Queensland and Christine Beveridge

Strigolactones are a new class of plant hormone, but are already known to function in a lot of different processes including shoot branching, parasitic weed seed germination and arbuscular mycorrhizae symboisis. This is the first symposium to bring together different aspects of strigolactone biology, including strigolactone biosynthesis and response, roles for strigolactones in plant development, parasitic weed seed germination and symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizae. As such, this symposium will be applicable to a broad audience. This symposium could be complemented by another symposium on novel hormone crosstalk, which would encompass cross-talk between strigolactones and other signals.

T04: Physiology and Biochemistry
SYM156: Respiration
Organiser: Professor Anthony Moore & Dr Jennifer Watling

Professor Anthony Moore
Respiration plays a central role in plant cell development and physiology, the provision of carbon and nitrogen skeletons for biosynthetic purposes, ion transport and of course the maintenance of cellular ATP homeostasis. The plant respiratory chain is uniquely designed to not only account for these key roles in metabolism but also to respond to stress-related changes such as oscillations in temperature, light, drought, salinity and nutrients. In addition to the conventional respiratory chain complexes plant mitochondria also contain multiple NADH dehydrogenases, uncoupling proteins and an alternative oxidase all of which enable respiratory activity to continue during metabolic fluctuations. The objective of this symposia will be to discuss recent research data on the structure, function, regulation and expression of the NADH dehydrogenases, uncoupling proteins and the alternative oxidase in an attempt to determine if fluctuations in central metabolism can be ameliorated by oscillations in respiratory electron transport flux mediated by the expression and regulation of the these respiratory chain components. Such a symposia will not only be of interest to plant physiologists/molecular biologists but also those interested in the physiology and biochemistry of fungi since these organisms also possess multiple dehydrogenases and an alternative oxidase.

Dr Jennifer Watling
A major function of respiration in all organisms is to release the energy stored in carbohydrates, or other C rich compounds, to enable the regeneration of ATP from ADP. The ATP thus generated is used in a multitude of metabolic processes essential to the survival and growth of the organism. In plants, however, there are a number of alternative respiratory pathways that do not conserve energy for ATP production. Why plants have these pathways is an intriguing question for plant scientists for many years, however, we are only now beginning to understand the roles they play in maintaining plant fitness. This symposium will bring together some of the leading researchers in this field to discuss the roles of these seemingly paradoxical pathways in plants.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym056: Evolution, Development And Function Of The Leaf Venation Architecture
Organiser: Dr Lawren Sack - University Of California

Recent conceptual and technical advances have led to breakthroughs in understanding the function of leaf hydraulic architecture, its variation across species, and, within a given species, its dynamics across microclimates.  This work has indicated a major importance of the leaf venation system as a determinant of  important aspects of leaf and plant function including maximum photosynthetic rates, and its responses to drought and damage.  The leaf venation is a showcase of plant diversity, and yet, until recently, the subject of relatively little focused research.  However, in the last five years, researchers taking diverse approaches have converged in focus on the leaf venation, from genetic, anatomical, developmental and physiological to paleobiological, in each case leading to fascinating discoveries, with the potential to link together very broad fields of investigation.  One key linkage will be the ability to scale from genetics and development to function, because the leaf venation provides a model for processes determined by multiple genes and directed by growth regulators.  Further, findings from each field have begun to clarify the evolution of leaf venation and its importance to plant diversification.  There is also the clear possibility of applying knowledge of the venation of extant species toward interpreting the function and climate of leaf fossils.  This symposium will bring together scientists across fields to present on recent and cross-cutting findings emphasizing new perspectives on leaf venation.  These will include new understanding of the physiology and evolution of leaf venation, with emphasis on recent adaptive radiations as well as on ancient lineages, including early angiosperms; the ecological implications of diversity in venation architecture; new insights into anatomical features of particular importance; clarification of the genetic and developmental pathways for the elaboration of venation architecture in model plants; and implications for interpreting the fossil record.  This symposium should be of interest to plant biologists of a wide range of interests, addressing issues from the molecular to the ecosystem scale, and into deep-time evolutionary processes.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym057: Orchid-Pollination: The Post-Darwinian Revolution
Organiser: Prof Peter Bernhardt - Saint Louis University

The year 2012 will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's book, 'On The Various Contrivances by Which Orchids Are Fertilised By Insects ' (1862).  We propose a second (afternoon?) symposium to follow the previously entered, 'Charles Darwin and Orchid Pollination (1862-2011).  In contrast, to the previous symposium,  this symposium will review advances in orchid-pollination from the 20th-early 21st century not addressed by Charles Darwin (1862, 1877) due to limitations in 19th century technology, experimentation and evolutionary hypotheses.  This includes variation in orchid pollination systems based on geography, evolution of reward vs. food and/or sexual mimesis, the biochemistry of orchid fragrances and the importance of floral phenology to conservation in this age of global warming.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym058: Nectar: Function, Ecology And Evolution
Organiser: Dr Massimo Nepi - University of Siena

Nectar is the most frequent type of floral reward that can be exploited as an alimentary resource by a large variety of animal, most of which perform pollination.  It is assumed that nectar appeared early in the evolutionary history of flowering plants when insects were already pre-adapted to feed on other sugary exudates.  Thus nectar can be considered the most important interface in the large-scale mutualistic relationship linking animals and angiosperm pollination since their early evolution.  After Sprengel’s pioneering work at the end of the XVIII century, a mass of information has been achieved about nectar’s ecological role, physiological function and chemical composition, plus the structural and physiological components of the glandular structures (nectaries) that produce and release it.  In recent years, the development of more sophisticated analytical techniques allowed to gain a deep knowledge of nectar especially at the biochemical and molecular level.  Several recent discoveries inform us that nectar is a complex milieu that demonstrates an extraordinary variety of substances (complex protein profiles, secondary compounds, volatiles) and functions (new metabolic pathways, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activities) that go far beyond the classical mutualistic relationships.  Much more information has also been acquired about the process of nectar secretion and nectary development at the cellular and molecular level. This knowledge spreads new light over certain aspects of the ecology, physiology and evolution of nectar, which require re-consideration.  The proposed symposium is an opportunity for leading scientists to present and discuss their recent advances, to establish innovative approaches, to find new international collaborations and to contribute substantially to the current knowledge base in the field of nectar and nectary biology.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym059: Biosynthesis Of Plant Cell Walls
Organiser: A/Prof Ed Newbigin - University Of Melbourne

The growth and development of living plants, and their utility as food, fibre and fuel, is controlled by the nature of the walls surrounding their cells. However, our understanding of how plant cell walls are made has until recently been hampered by a lack of information on the genes responsible for production of structural wall polysaccharides.  This symposium will draw together researchers interested in addressing questions as to how cell walls are made and how this knowledge can be applied to the utilisation of plant ligno-cellulosic biomass as a viable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym060: Intracellular And Intercellular RNA Signalling
Organiser: A/Prof Bernie Carroll - The University Of Queensland

This symposium could include gene silencing, regulatory RNA, RNA processing and RNA trafficking.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym061: Cellular Dynamics
Organiser: A/Prof David McCurdy - The University Of Newcastle

Proposed Symposium for International Botanical Congress, Melbourne, 2011  Theme: Structure, development & cellular biology  Symposium title:  Cellular Dynamics  Co-chairs:  Associate Professor David McCurdy, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle  Professor Chris Staiger, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, IN USA  Associate Professor David McCurdy and Professor Chris Staiger propose to jointly chair a symposium entitled “Cellular Dynamics”. The advent of fluorescence-based imaging and advanced microscopy techniques has enabled real-time visualization and quantification of the dynamics of numerous sub-cellular components. Over the last decade, there has been an explosion of discoveries in cellular dynamics ranging from molecular interactions of cytoskeletal components and their effects on  endomembrane trafficking, and the contribution of these processes to diverse cellular functions including cell wall biosynthesis to responses to pathogen attack. The proposed symposium will highlight the latest discoveries in these areas and will cover biological organisation from the level of protein-protein interactions through to dynamic activities of whole cells in response to biotic and abiotic challenges. This Symposium, by covering sub-cellular based activities of plant cells, will contribute molecular understanding directly related to potential issues covered in other Themes, particularly “Physiology & biochemistry”.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym062: Pollen Biology And Pollen-Pistil Interaction
Organiser: Prof Alice Cheung - University Of Massachusetts

Sexual reproduction in flowering plants relies on pollen tube growth in a compatible pistil.  Understanding the biology of the pollen tube growth process and how productive male-female interactions are facilitated or prohibited has been a long standing and important area of botanical research. Our proposed symposium will aim to achieve diversity in the sub-disciplines of the field as well as geographical representation. We anticipate speakers will cover the fundamentals of pollen tube cell biology  (Peter Hepler, USA), genetics of pollen development(currently being contacted,Mexico) to ecology and evolution of pollination system (Joseph William, U. Tennesse, Consequences of pollen tube growth innovations for early angiosperm evolution).  My co-organizer is Jose Feijo (Portugal), and we would like to include work and colleagues from countries in the Pacific Rim and Australia in the area of pollen-pistil interaction and other physiological aspects of pollination.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym063: Retrograde Signaling In Plants
Organiser: Prof John Gray - University Of Cambridge

The aim of the symposium is to present the latest information and encourage discussion of the mechanisms of retrograde signaling from chloroplasts and mitochondria to the nucleus in plants that is required to coordinate the expression of genes in these three compartments.  The genetic information for plant form and function is contained in three separate genomes, located in the nucleus, chloroplasts and mitochondria. Although the nuclear genome encodes the majority of plant proteins (~25 000 in arabidopsis), the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes encode small numbers (~80 and ~60, respectively) of proteins that are essential for the bioenergetic functions of plants. These organelle-encoded proteins are all assembled into multisubunit complexes containing nuclear gene products, requiring sophisticated regulatory mechanisms to ensure the synthesis of stoichiometric amounts of the individual subunits.  Studies using mutants and inhibitors of organelle processes have established that both chloroplasts and mitochondria can initiate signaling pathways that can inform the nucleus of the developmental and functional state of the organelles. The genomes uncoupled (gun) mutants of arabidopsis have helped to identify the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway as an important contributor to chloroplast retrograde signaling, but the detailed mechanisms are still obscure. Organelle gene expression, redox status and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have all been implicated in retrograde signaling pathways.  These retrograde signaling pathways are the subjects of intense study in a large number of laboratories throughout the world and the XVIII International Botanical Congress in 2011 would provide a timely opportunity to bring together key researchers in this area with the aim of highlighting important advances in the field. Retrograde signaling has not previously been a Symposium topic at International Botanical Congresses.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym064: The Evolution And Development Of The Angiosperm Female Gametophyte
Organiser: Prof William Friedman - University Of Colorado

After more than a century of static thought about the basic embryological features of flowering plants, we are in the midst of a fundamental reevaluation of their evolutionary and developmental history.  Angiosperms possess a unique suite of reproductive characteristics that includes a highly reduced female gametophyte, a process of double fertilization, and the production of a genetically biparental embryo-nourishing tissue, endosperm.  This symposium will focus on the evolutionary and developmental results of recent investigations into the biology of the angiosperm female gametophyte.  Comparative morphological analyses of ancient angiosperm lineages will be examined in the context of reconstructing the reproductive features of the first flowering plants.  Broader analyses of evolutionary transitions in the types of female gametophyte structures will focus on the role of genetic conflict and modularity.  Finally, many of the remarkable new insights into the molecular basis for pattern formation and cell identity in the angiosperm female gametophyte will be presented.  The goal of the symposium will be to understand female gametophyte diversity based on general principals of developmental biology and link this diversity to evolutionary innovations (perhaps even adaptations) associated with changes in the reproductive programs of all flowering plants.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym065: Mechanics Of Plant Cell Growth And Plant Development
Organiser: Dr Anja Geitmann - University Of Montreal

Cellular growth is a fundamental process during plant development. It shapes cellular morphology, affects cell functioning and ultimately determines the plant phenotype. Growth of plant cells is a complex interaction between the internal turgor-generated hydrostatic pressure, which drives this process, and the surrounding cell wall, which controls its temporal and spatial dynamics. The cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in controlling plant cell growth by targeting the delivery of new cell wall material and by influencing the orientation and mechanical properties of microfibrils. Understanding the biophysical underpinnings of cellular growth processes will help us to focus our attention to those cellular mechanisms and molecular pathways that govern relevant physical players involved in plant development. Possible topics for talks in this symposium include mechanical modeling of cell wall expansion, cytoskeletal control of cellulose microfibril orientation and mechanical properties, role of actin in targeting matrix components to growing cell surfaces, generation of complex plant cell shapes, anisotropic growth, polar growth.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym066: Genetics And Models Of Leaf Shape Development
Organiser: Prof Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz - University of Calgary

In the past twenty years genetic approaches have been successful in identifying individual genes regulating various aspects of leaf growth and development, yet a predictive and integrated understanding of how leaves develop and acquire their shapes still eludes us. One reason is that bioscience methods do not suffice to conceptualize the complex feedback loops of genetic regulation, signaling, and tissue growth that act in a coordinated manner to produce leaf geometry.  Advancements in computational modeling hold considerable promise for overcoming this limitation. Genetic studies are now enriched with predictive models that elucidate leaf development at subcellular, cellular and whole organ scales. The proposed symposium will bring together leading researchers who are studying different aspects of leaf development using genetic, evolutionary, biophysical, and computational approaches. The speakers will present how the interplay of genetic regulation, developmental signaling, and mechanical and geometric constraints on tissue growth produces different leaf shapes in development and evolution.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym067: Mathematics And Biomechanics Of Plant Development
Organiser: Prof Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz - University of Calgary and Eric Mjolsness

Although many of the molecular aspects of plant development are known, understanding how genes are translated into shape remains a challenging problem. Over the last decade, studies in this area have significantly benefited from reasoning in mathematical, physical, and computational terms.  The models constructed to date elucidate maintenance of shoot and root meristems, organ initiation in phyllotactic patterns,  apical dominance and bud activation, initiation of lateral roots, development of leaf form and venation patterns, patterns of cell divisions, and trichome differentiation, among others.  One of the distinctive features of these models is a firm rooting in molecular biology. Mechanical forces, however, are also likely to be an important link in morphogenesis. How are these forces regulated at the cellular level?  Can these forces provide feedback and influence cellular behavior? What mathematical and computational techniques are suitable to model plant morphogenesis?  The objective of the proposed symposium is to examine the latest efforts that aim at answering these questions.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym068: From Proplastids To Chloroplasts In Flowering Plants
Organiser: Prof Juergen Soll - University Of Munich

In flowering plants, chloroplasts differentiate from proplastids, which contain only few internal membranous structures like pro-thylakoids and vesicles, but are not photosynthetically active.This light dependent differentiation process occurs in the shoot apex, which consists of the shoot apical meristem and the flanking leaf primordia. The central zone of the shoot apical meristem houses the stem cells that give rise to all aerial parts of the plant.The route from an almost unstructured proplastid to the higly organized chloroplast is orchestred by numerous molecular and cellular events. This includes transcription and translation of both nuclear and plastid encoded genes in a tightly regulated manner by a complex network of anterograde and retrograde signals. Thousands of proteins need to become imported, sorted and assembled into functional complexes in the arrising chloroplast. This requires the simultaneous synthesis and transport of lipids and pigments within the organell as well as their integration into the growing thylakoid membrane system. The manner by which these lipids and pigments are trafficked from the envelope to the thylakoid membrane during biogenesis is unclear. Ultrastructural and biochemical studies support distinct and complementarary mechanisms, i.e. by vesicular traffic, envelope membrane invagination or by lipid transfer proteins. All of these processes essential for the differentiation of a photosynthetically active thylakoid network in chloroplasts from a rudimentary prothylakoid /proplastid stage. This symposium should cover the INITIAL molecular and structural events leading from primary vesicles to lamellar structures with defined organisation. Thereby describing: -the mode of lipid transport, -the 3D changes in membrane structural organisation -desribe the enzymes and players involved in protein trafficking and membrane assembly, -analyse the developmental plastid differentiation gradient from stem apical meristem to leaf primordia.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym069: The Evolution Of Plant Form And Function: Outside The Evo-Devo Box
Organiser: Dr Chelsea Specht - University Of California

One of the outstanding questions in evolutionary biology is how genetic processes are modified through evolutionary time to produce the diversity we see in plants today. The last five years have seen a switch in how we approach such problems, from the classical “candidate gene” approach of assessing the evolutionary importance of genes that are developmentally important in Arabidopsis and other model systems, to directly assessing genes responsible for change in diverse evolutionary groups.  Model systems remain important for access to genetic resources and for validation of genes implicated in evolutionary diversification of distantly related lineages, but model systems are no longer the primary tools for understanding these patterns. Instead, clade-based and population-level approaches in a variety of plant lineages are starting to provide us with a more complete understanding of the exact processes underlying observed patterns of diversity, and moreover demonstrate the diversity of the processes themselves.  Speakers in this symposium utilize a diversity of clade-based approaches together with species and population level sampling to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying trait evolution.  The selected speakers combine early-career plant biologists (4) with accomplished high-profile researchers (2) working on integrating evolutionary biology and developmental genetics in lineages that span angiosperm diversity.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym070: Programmed Cell Death In Plant Development And Defense
Organiser: Dr Arunika Gunawardena - Dalhousie University

Programmed cell death (PCD) or apoptosis is a genetically encoded, active process which results in the death of individual cells, tissues or whole organs. PCD has been studied most extensively in animal cells where it plays a major role during development. As in animals, PCD plays an important role in plant development and defense and occurs throughout a plant’s life cycle from the death of the embryonic suspensor to leaf and floral organ senescence. There are two broad categories of PCD in plants: environmentally induced PCD and developmentally regulated PCD. Developmentally regulated PCD is required for normal xylem differentiation, deletion of embryonic suspensors, formation of functionally unisexual flowers from bisexual floral primordia, root cap shedding, and leaf morphogenesis. In contrast, environmentally induced PCD, such as the development of lysigenous aerenchyma triggered by hypoxic stress and the hypersensitive response triggered by pathogen invasion, is initiated in response to abiotic or biotic external signals. Although research in plant PCD has been of remarkable interest, the signaling pathways, molecular mechanisms, and genes involved in plant PCD are still largely unknown. Some of the specific questions are:  1.How do internal (developmental cues) or external stimuli feed into the regulatory system to execute the cell death process in plants? 2.Do caspase-like enzymes in plants play a similar role as animal caspases? 3.Do reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in plant PCD? 4.Do chloroplasts play a major role in plant PCD? 5.What happens to the plant cell wall during PCD? 6.What are the available model species to study PCD in vivo? 7.What genes are involved in plant PCD?  This proposed symposium will provide a wonderful opportunity to present recent findings in plant PCD, to discuss some of the above questions, and to meet people from different parts of the world who study plant PCD.

T05: Structure, Development & Cellular Biology
Sym071: How 'Housekeeping' Genes Control Organogenesis?
Organiser: A/Prof Hirokazu Tsukaya - The University Of Tokyo and Michael Lenhard

'How 'Housekeeping' Genes Control Organogenesis? -- Unexpected New Findings on The Role of Housekeeping Genes in Differentiation of Cell/organs'  During the 1990s, students of morphogenesis have mainly focused on transcription factors (TFs) to elucidate mechanisms of differentiation into various cell types, tissues and organs. This strategy proved to be very powerful and provided important insights into how cells differentiate. As a result, we now have a fairly detailed understanding of the genetic networks controlling organogenesis from the view point of transcriptional control of gene networks. However, how changes in the activities of these transcriptional networks are translated into specific cellular behaviors leading to defined morphologies remains a much less understood question.  In recent years, as a result of further genetic screens, many of them in sensitized backgrounds, an increasing number of what would appear to be 'housekeeping' genes have been identified as leading to surprisingly specific defects in multicellular organogenesis. This raises the exciting prospect that understanding how these genes affect specific aspects of growth and development may provide an important piece of the puzzle linking transcriptional control to cellular and organ morphogenesis. Examples of these genes include a canonical nuclear poly(A)-polymerase that appears to play an important role in organ-specific size control. Similarly, DNA polymerase was found to be involved in leaf morphogenesis; ribosomal proteins act in controlling dorsoventral polarity and in the integration system between cell proliferation and cell expansion; RNA splicing was found to be involved in meristem differentiation, and so on. These are unexpected findings, since such 'housekeeping' genes have not been thought to function in differentiation of particular cell types or tissues or organs. While this notion may be true in single-celled organisms, such as bacteria and yeast, in multicellular organisms like plants, it is highly plausible that particular copies of such genes of general function work as key regulators of differentiation, if we consider the above new findings. Considering the above finding, re-examination of 'housekeeping' genes in the context of cell/organ differentiation is expected to expand to be an important new research area. In this symposium, we will gather representative researchers who contributed to this unexpected change in perspective outlined above. We hope that this symposium will help to galvanize a novel research field that is expected to contribute greatly to understanding key developmental mechanisms of multicellular organisms. 

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM004: Diversity, Evolution And Historical Biogeography Of Bromeliaceae
Organiser: Prof Georg Zizka - Senckenberg And Goethe University

'Diversity, Evolution and Historical Biogeography of Bromeliaceae'  The family Bromeliaceae has received considerable attention due to its morphological and ecological variability. Moreover it contributes a major part to the epiphyte diversity in the Neotropics. Within the family, key characters/strategies have been developed to radiate successfully in epiphytic as well as arid terrestrial habitats. Nevertheless, the reconstruction of the phylogeny of the family for many decades suffered from homoplasies and the misinterpretation of the systematic value of morphological characters. Recent advances in molecular and classical systematics led to a re-evaluation of morphological characters and revealed new insights in the diversification, character evolution and historical biogeography of the Bromeliaceae. The dating of phylogenies and the reconstruction of the evolution of ecological niches allow the interpretation of character evolution in the light of climate change. Newly developed methods enable us to infer historical biogeography and reconstruct the spreading and radiation of bromeliad groups. Studies in population genetics have recently revealed the important role of hybridisation in the evolution of the family. The symposium deals with the new results and hypotheses about bromeliad systematics, evolution and biogeography that are developed and principally based on the wealth of molecular data.   

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym005: Historical Botanical Collections
Organiser: Mr Heimo Rainer - NHM-Vienna

Besides all modern techniques applied for unravelling diversity of plant life, historical collections are of major importance to clarify nomenclatural aspects in daily systematic and taxonomic work. The availability of such material, including  specimens, literature, fieldnotes, and geographical materials, is essential for streamlining the use of botanical names. It is of global interest to provide the fundament for nomenclatural work by making all these materials available to the specialists and at its best provide access to it on everybodys desktop. For the first time in history it is possible to aggregate all required information in a virtual environment. Much of the information needed is not apparent by simply displaying digitized materials though, and a transdiciplinary community effort, including e.g. historians and geographers, would be desirable to solve problems. Intelligent setup of the surrounding IT architecture for digitized materials such as protologue information, controlled vocabularies, and reference lists and distributed taxonomic competence might help to identify priorities.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym006: Cretaceous Angiosperms: Phylogeny, Ecological Adaptations And Evolutionary Implications
Organiser: Mr Clement Coiffard - Museum Of Natural History

Extant basal angiosperms exhibit today a wide  set of ecological adaptations  to nearly all habitats. These adaptations include anatomical features in vegetative and reproductive structures.  However, these taxa that we see today give just a relictual picture of a defined time slice. In order to understand early angiosperm evolution we need to study Cretaceous angiosperm fossils, including their leaf architecture, anatomy of stems and  roots in additon to reproductive structures. An interdisciplinary approach that includes detailed ecophysiological observations on either single taxa and their vegetative and reproductive structures or on leaf floras, is crucial for understanding early angiosperm evolution. Such investigations include leaf mass or vein density data and leaf physiognomy.  These data will  increase the understanding of the ecological strategies during the early developmental phase of angiosperms and has implications on the phylogenetic history of angiosperms.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym007: Molecules and Fossils, Developing Concordance of Results for the Systematics and Phylogeny of Conifers
Organiser: Dr Gar W. Rothwell - Ohio Universtiy

Conifers are the most diverse and economically important group of living gymnosperms, with a fossil record that extends back to the Pennsylvanian Period and canopy dominance in mountain and boreal forests worldwide.  Traditionally, conifer systematics has been poorly resolved, but dramatic advancements have led to new insights over the past decade.  This symposium reviews recent discoveries from both molecular and morphological approaches for a combination of living and extinct species, and explores strategies for reconciling discordant results from different approaches.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym008: Cave Speciation
Organiser: Mr Libing Zhang -Missouri Botanical Garden

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym072: Apocynaceae: Phylogeny, Biogeography And Diversity
Organiser: Prof Sigrid Liede-Schumann - University Of Bayreuth

The Apocynaceae symposium of the XVII IBC in Vienna saw a new classification of Apocynaceae emerge, firmly embedding Asclepiadoideae, Secamonoideae, and Periplocoideae as monophyletic groups in a matrix of a Rauvolfioideae grade and paraphyletic Apocynoideae. While ca. 80 % of the known genera had been studied in 2005, only a small portion of the ca. 3,500 species had been analyzed. Even though, the results of this symposium made it clear that general clade structure throughout almost all parts of the family constitutes one to a very few large genera (> 100 spp.) spurning several small satellite genera. It was agreed then that an understanding of character evolution, biogeography and ecological adaptation is only possible once the structure of these large genera has been clarified. The present symposium therefore focuses on radiation patterns within these large genera. All subfamilies except for Periplocoideae, which only comprises genera with less than 30 spp., will be represented, as will the major centers of diversity in the family worldwide. We will ask the question as to what extent the radiations in different subfamilies and on different continents show common patterns concerning timescale, species distribution, morphological and anatomical adaptations. Furthermore, the role of pollinators in these radiations shall be elucidated.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym073: Orchid Pollination And Evolution
Organiser: Prof Rod Peakall - The Australian National University

Orchids are well known for their diversity in pollination systems, life history and almost world-wide distribution. Therefore, this family is ideal for taking comparative approaches to explore questions about the role of pollinators in the evolution of floral traits and the diversification of plants in general. Although pollinators have long been hypothesised to play a major role in the diversification of angiosperms, this topic remains hotly debated. Thus we expect that despite the focus on orchids, this symposium will be of general and broad interest and is certain to encourage lively debate and discussion.  For the proposed symposium, we will target a diversity of speakers representing multiple continents and contrasting world floras, as well as different pollination systems, from deception to reward, and terrestrial as well as epiphytic lifestyles. In addition, the different research interests of the invited speakers will ensure a broad coverage of evolutionary topics including reproductive isolation, hybridisation, population genetics, pollination mediated selection as well as macroevolutionary approaches.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym074: Gene Tree Incongruence And The Estimation Of Species Trees
Organiser: Prof Bernard Pfeil - University Of Gothenburg

Accurate estimation of species trees is a vitally important task in biology because of the broad range of inferences that are drawn from them.  Although this probably represents the primary goal of molecular systematics, its procedure is complex and can be viewed as a two step approach, each with its own challenges to be overcome: the inference of gene trees from sequence data and the inference of species trees from gene trees.  While a lot of attention has been given historically to reconstructing gene trees (evolutionary model development, optimization criteria, development of methods for detecting recombination and selection, etc.), these gene trees—even if perfectly accurate—can still be incongruent with the species tree. Clearly, the processes leading to incongruent gene trees, as well as methods for reconstructing species trees from them, deserve our attention.  Several processes could result in incongruent gene trees: hybridization (broadly defined to include horizontal gene transfer), lineage sorting, gene duplication (paralogy). Yet, it is often difficult to identify precisely one particular process as the cause of incongruence in a given example, and often several processes are most likely involved. Several methods have been proposed to help distinguish among the various possible causes, but there is clearly room for improvement, as most of the time these methods do not have general application.  Considerable progress has also been made in reconstructing species trees from incongruent gene trees. Most notably, population genetic theory has combined forces with systematics—resulting in the multi-species coalescent—to allow probabilistic models to be developed for investigating these problems, which is giving a new face to molecular systematics. Yet, despite these great advances, we are still facing many challenges. For instance, most methods reconstruct species trees by assuming that a single type of process resulted in the observed incongruence among gene trees. It is thus important to investigate the performance of methods when their assumptions are not met and also to develop more realistic methods of analysis.  Theoretical advances in this field of research also have wider application. For example, the multi-species coalescent could have application to DNA barcoding for justifying the use of a particular distance threshold when identifying or delimiting species.  This symposium aims to canvass recent advances in theoretical and practical approaches to detecting incongruence, understanding its cause(s) and to reconstruct species trees from independent gene trees.  It will also present empirical examples demonstrating the potential and shortcomings of actual methods for resolving plant systematics problems.  We want outstanding examples of new methods to be presented in an empirical setting to disseminate these approaches to the plant molecular systematics community.  While the focus is intended to be on the step from gene trees to species trees, empirical results that apply novel ways of overcoming challenges in gene tree inference are also welcome, especially if part of a broader analysis.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym075: Macroalgal Floras In The Southern Hemisphere: Southern Origins And Worldwide Volonization
Organiser: Dr Joe Zuccarello - Victoria University Of Wellington

The southern hemisphere is a hot bed for macroalgal diversity, with many higher-order taxa being endemic to, or having their highest diversity in the south. Molecular studies also indicate that many taxa with worldwide distributions have their origins in the south. This symposium will explore the evolution of southern algal lineages using historical, molecular and biogeographic data and bring together leaders in algal evolution whose work has focused on southern algae over many years. The southern hemisphere has extensive, often contiguous, coastlines that span from cold temperate regions to the tropics. These coasts have remained relatively stable, as have their latitudinal positions, throughout recent geologic time. This has led to extensive evolutionary radiation and speciation resulting in high levels of diversity and endemism of southern orders and families. This endemism is on a par with that observed in adjacent terrestrial ecosystems (southwestern Australia, New Zealand). These diversity hot spots will be highlighted with reference to the overall evolution of their respective groups. The south also appears to be the source of many widely distributed taxa, recent molecular data suggesting a southern origin of numerous groups that currently have antitropical distributions. These data and the timing of dispersal events across the tropics will be assessed. The contiguous coastlines and spatial interconnectivity of algal populations suggest that the dominant mode of speciation is sympatric. Genetic data imply that processes that presently maintain discontinuities in these marine environments are long-lived and remain present while groups evolve. The unique southern hemisphere macroalgal flora, its special place in the overall evolution of temperate macroalgal groups, and the processes that drive and maintain this diversity, will be presented by leaders in the field and in a southern hemisphere appropriate location.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym076: Inflorescences: Diversity, Development, Ecology And Evolution
Organiser: Prof Regine Claßen-Bockhoff - Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Institut für Spezielle Botanik and Bruce Kirchoff

Inflorescences not only present spectacular displays of flowers, but directly influence the reproductive success of a plant by presenting the flowers in space and time. They connect the vegetative stages in a plant’s life cycle with the reproductive phase, providing the context in which effective pollen transfer takes place. Their enormous phenotypic diversity and modular structure raises questions of the functional and evolutionary significance of floral displays. Inflorescence development requires extensive changes to the vegetative meristem, and in the underlying developmental programme of the vegetative plant body. All of these aspects result in from the shaping of the inflorescence as a product of natural selection In the 20th century the main attention on inflorescences was focused on their typology and systematic significance. More recently, the focus has shifted to developmental processes underlying inflorescence form, and the functional consequences of inflorescence structure. These studies have expanded the field of inflorescence structure from systematics to include a broad range of disciplines ranging from developmental genetics, ontogeny, pollination ecology, experimental reproductive biology, to phylogeny and evolutionary biology. The symposium aims to bring the manifold aspects of inflorescence biology together to stimulate the exchange of ideas and new research projects.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym077: Neotropical Plant Evolution: Assembling The Big Picture
Organiser: Dr Alexandre Antonelli- University Of Zurich

The Neotropical region comprises more plant species than any other tropical region of the world. Yet, it contains some of the most poorly known and most threatened of all biomes. In this symposium we will bring together leading scientists who will be given a challenging task: to summarize and evaluate our knowledge of the historical assembly of species-rich Neotropical biomes. The symposium will start with an overview of the latest theoretical advances in biogeographic theory and analysis relevant to uncovering the history of species-rich areas, and an overview of recent significant palaeobotanical advances in the Neotropics. The subsequent contributions will cover a series of biomes and geographic areas, some of which have been neglected in recent reviews. We will encourage speakers to explore common key themes, such as whether contemporary phylogenetic and population genetic data can uncover the signal of ancient geological events in the face of factors such as recent dispersal, and whether patterns of diversification are different in distinct biomes. To further integrate each talk, we will also encourage speakers to cover common topics such as estimates of species numbers and endemism; ecological characterization and dominant/characteristic groups; geological and landscape changes; broad review of systematic and biogeographic studies; conservation status and current threats; remaining research questions. Finally, we hope the symposium will pinpoint the most crucial questions that need to be answered in the next 10 years of research.  We aim to produce a peer-reviewed journal volume, prefaced with a brief introductory synthesis, shortly after the conference (with submission deadline 2 months after). This volume (e.g., in Journal of Biogeography) will ideally be made Open Access to increase accessibility in Latin America and elsewhere.  Organizers: Alexandre Antonelli, University of Zurich, Switzerland Toby Pennington, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK Colin Hughes, University of Oxford, UK.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym078: Acacia (Mimosaceae) Co-Evolution: Investigations Of The Plant Genus Acacia And Its Allied Biota.
Organiser: Dr Daniel John Murphy - Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

In Australia, Acacia species dominate much of the landscape with over 1,000 taxa endemic to the continent. The genus frequently dominates undisturbed ecosystems, providing the key component of plant communities by interacting with a broad range of organisms including nitrogen fixing rhizobial bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, disease-causing fungal rusts and herbivorous insects. Interactions among these organisms determine the health of the environment and Acacia provides us with a unique model system for investigating the ecological and co-evolutionary consequences of these interactions on a continent-wide scale. In this symposium we will present an integrated evolutionary history of Acacia. To begin the symposium we will present the latest multiple gene molecular phylogeny, detailing the major lineages within the genus, as well as morphological character evolution and the latest classification of Acacia.  The symposium will then focus on the biogeography of Acacia and provide divergence estimates for clades. Acacia, as a legume, has symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing rhizobial bacteria.  A symposium speaker will discuss the coevolutionary dynamics of this relationship, and the applications of these results to revegetation projects.  A subsequent speaker will present the systematics and phylogeny of pathogenic rust species associated with Acacia and will address the cophyletic nature of these interactions. The remainder of the symposium will address Acacia/insect interactions.  The first speaker will give an overview of the broad-scale interactions of the insect fauna on Acacia, which includes several insect groups that have radiations of species confined to Acacia hosts.  These include thrips; beetles, such as leaf beetles (Calomela) and weevils; hemiptera and wasps.  These organisms interact with Acacia in a variety of ways; there are gall formers on leaves or flowers,  sap-suckers or parasites of other insects on Acacia.  The second speaker in the Acacia/insect section will focus on the ecological associations of Acacia with insect groups, including community composition and pollination biology. These talks will comprise a broad overview of Acacia evolution and organismal interactions with Acacia. The ability to compare multiple organisms that interact with a single diverse plant lineage will allow the symposium to explore different evolutionary mechanisms that have driven the evolution of Australia's largest plant genus and its allied taxa.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym079: From Molecules To Morphology: An Integrative Perspective On The Evolution And Biogeography Of Apiales
Organiser: A/Prof Murray Henwood - The University Of Sydney

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym080: Basal Angiosperms - Multiple Evolutionary Dead Ends Or The Trial And Error Trail To Success?
Organiser: Dr James Smith - Boise State University

Angiosperms comprise the greatest diversity of botanical life on our planet exhibiting a wide array of life and growth forms, floral and fruit diversity, physiologies and pollination strategies.  The sudden emergence of these plants in the fossil record and their subsequent rapid radiation have been a mystery to evolutionary biologists since Darwin.  Recent advances in molecular phylogenetic analyses and broader taxonomic sampling have revealed the lineages of living angiosperms that represent the earliest divergent lineages after the origin of flowering plants. These lineages have been referred to as the “basal angiosperms.” Despite consisting of only a small fraction of the total diversity of living angiosperms, this group underwent tremendous radiation and diversification before the emergence of the eudicot-monocot radiation.  Seemingly some of these living representatives are the relics of a “trial and error” process of natural selection.  Many of the adaptations and traits of basal angiosperms are found among monocots and eudicots. These adaptations are seen in the spectacular diversity in growth forms of herbs, shrubs, trees, lianas, vines, aquatics, hemi- and holoparasites. Pollination syndromes are likewise diverse: large showy animal-pollinated flowers such as those of Magnoliaceae contrast with small inconspicuous perianthless flowers of the Piperaceae. Also physiological properties are equally diverse and investigating the adaptations of lineages that first arose millions of years ago may provide insights into our current climate change. The adaptations of the basal angiosperms may have provided the basic genetic and developmental raw material for natural selection that produced the explosion of angiosperm diversity. Current investigations into the genomics of these plants may reveal the blueprints for botanical evolution.  The past decade has seen tremendous numbers of investigations into the phylogenetic relationships of these species but there have been comparatively few studies on their ecology, physiology, and development. Here we present a series of studies that re-examine the phylogenetic relationships of early-diverging angiosperms with new chloroplast and nuclear data. This also involves placement of molecular dates on the phylogenetic tree and review of the fossils in the perspective of what they tell us about the diversification of angiospe rm adaptations that did not survive to the present. Consequently, we look at the current adaptations in terms of biomechanics of growth forms, pollination syndromes and ecophysiological responses of these plants with an eye for the underlying molecular mechanisms that may have led to the tremendous diversification seen in the monocots and eudicots. 

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym081: EuphORBia - A Global Inventory Of The Spurges
Organiser: Dr Paul Berry - University Of Michigan

Euphorbia, a monophyletic lineage of over 2,300 species, is a tremendously diverse genus of worldwide distribution. Morphologically, it can be characterized by the presence of a pseudanthial cyathium. Through the U.S. National Science Foundation's Planetary Biodiversity Inventory programme, we have been conducting studies on the phylogeny, taxonomy, and other aspects of the adaptive radiation of this giant genus. This symposium presents results to date of this 5-year collective effort, including a robust molecular backbone of the infrageneric phylogeny, new explorations and floristic updates, evidence for multiple evolution and convergence of succulent habits and photosynthetic systems, and web-based tools to facilitate dissemination of information on Euphorbia. The complex biogeography of the genus will be a focal point of the symposium.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym082: Botanic Gardens And Their Role In The Time Of Climate Change
Organiser: Dr Kiehn Michael - Botanical Garden

As a consequences of climate change, the future role of Botanic Gardens in conservation and research is likely to change considerably. As part of the Botanic Gardens´ commitment towards national or international conservation programs, collection and research policies already now start to focus on issues like 'alien species' or 'assisted migration', and interactions between in situ and ex situ-conservation are strengthened. The symposium is intended to provide case studies and best practise examples for these developments.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym083: A Perspective On Species Radiation – The New Zealand Story
Organiser: Dr Ilse Breitwieser - Allan Herbarium, Landcare Research

In recent years, molecular phylogenetic analyses of the New Zealand flora have changed our understanding of its diversity and origins. These studies have challenged the traditional view that New Zealand’s biota has been isolated since the break up of the southern supercontinent, Gondwana. Under this “Moa’s Ark” hypothesis, New Zealand is thought of as the home to relic species undergoing slow changes over long periods of time. However, we now realize that this view is far too simplistic and a more dynamic, almost tumultuous, view of New Zealand’s biodiversity is emerging. Contemporary research demonstrates that much of the New Zealand flora is the result of late-Tertiary (Pliocene-Pleistocene) species radiations.  Species radiation has been inferred in numerous plant groups in New Zealand, raising questions of both evolutionary and conservation interest. Reconstructing the evolutionary history of these radiations is important for understanding the present day distribution and diversification of the flora. Considering species radiation, what factors have contributed to the diversity present in the New Zealand flora? Key factors in the evolutionary success of a radiation may include innovations in morphology, reproductive features, and physiology, and variation in these traits among closely related species is often related to differences in resource utilization. Abiotic factors are also potential drivers for generating and maintaining floristic diversity, and in New Zealand these include uplift of the Southern Alps, diversity of geological parent materials, Pleistocene glacial cycles, and steep environmental gradients. Studies of the genetic basis of diversification increase our understanding of how evolution on the molecular level has shaped our current biodiversity. Hybridisation and polyploidy have long been thought important for understanding New Zealand plant biodiversity. Testing the consequences of these processes requires studies that demonstrate the occurrence of reticulate evolution, and field studies to determine the evolutionary potential of natural hybrids and polyploids.  Study of the New Zealand flora provides an ideal system for understanding plant evolutionary and ecological processes as they operate in a more global context. Taking advantage of this opportunity requires interdisciplinary research. The proposed speakers of this symposium include various disciplines and nationalities, all of them currently based in New Zealand. These representatives of the New Zealand Plant Radiation Network (http://www.allanwilsoncentre.ac.nz/NZPRN/) will provide an update on the contribution that studies on the New Zealand flora are making to understanding the phenomenon of species radiation. Topics of our contributions focus on (1) the importance of New Zealand for understanding plant biodiversity, (2) species delimitation, (3) evolutionary and ecological drivers of radiation, (4) reconstructing the evolutionary history of species radiations, (5) the genetic basis of diversification, and (6) evolutionary significance of hybridization and polyploidy.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym084: Origin And Diversification Of The Australian Flora: Examples from the Cucurbitaceae, Lobeliaceae, Poaceae, Proteaceae, and Rubiaceae
Organiser: Dr Eric Knox - Indiana University

Origin And Diversification Of The Australian Flora  Organizers: Eric Knox (Indiana University, USA) and Neville Walsh (Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Australia)  Molecular systematic studies of plant evolution are sufficiently advanced that we can now address questions concerning the origin and diversification of selected groups of the Australian flora.  These studies require a global approach to the phylogenetic relationships of each plant family in order to reconstruct the area of origin, the timing and location of the group’s arrival in Australia, the pattern of diversification in Australia, and whether any Australian lineages subsequently colonized other regions.  Within Australia, the phylogenetic estimate and biogeographic reconstruction of each group can be used to evaluate the interplay of ecological and morphological features and response to climate and geological change.  Use of multiple lines of molecular evidence can be used to evaluate the relative roles of cladogenic speciation verses reticulate evolution in the diversification of each group.  Six case studies will be presented in this symposium.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym085: Phylogeny And Biogeography Of Cyperaceae, Tribe Cariceae:  Radiations, Disjunctions, And Evolutionary
Organiser: Prof Marcia Waterway - McGill University

Phylogeny And Biogeography Of Cyperaceae, Tribe Cariceae:  Radiations, Disjunctions, And Evolutionary Processes At Multiple Scales In A Diverse Cosmopolitan Clade. Theme: Systematics, evolution, biogeography and biodiversity informatics Strong phylogenetic hypotheses inform studies of geographic distribution and character evolution at all taxonomic levels. In this symposium, we present a set of studies from six continents that combine phylogenetic and biogeographic perspectives to understand evolutionary processes within a single large clade of plants, tribe Cariceae (Cyperaceae). This tribe includes the very large, paraphyletic genus Carex along with four much smaller genera that all molecular phylogenetic studies to date have shown to be nested within it: the paraphyletic genus Kobresia, likely monophyletic genera Schoenoxiphium and Uncinia, and the monotypic genus Cymophyllus.The tribe has a cosmopolitan distribution with most species found in temperate, boreal, arctic, alpine, and subtropical regions in a variety of habitats that vary along gradients of insolation, moisture, elevation, and nutrition. Working within a single large, diverse and widespread clade provides an excellent system for exploring biogeographic patterns from global to local in concert with studies of evolutionary processes and speciation. Numerous recent phylogenetic studies of the tribe provide the basis for testing biogeographic hypotheses and understanding patterns of diversification in relation to habitat and range. Tribe Cariceae provides the opportunity to study parallel diversification of multiple lineages within a monophyletic group in response to environmental conditions on different continents and to explore geographic disjunctions. It also affords the opportunity to study chromosome evolution in a unique system in which chromosome fission, fusion, and occasional polyploidy produce exceptionally high chromosome diversity. Based on recent molecular phylogenetic studies, tribe Cariceae has Asian origins, with early diverging groups in all major clades found in Eastern Asia. We begin the symposium with a tribal phylogeny used to give context to the symposium, illustrate major radiations in Asia and Australasia, and to test hypotheses of vicariance and dispersal within Eastern Asia and between Asia and Australasia (Waterway, Bruhl, Wilson, de Lange, Hoshino, & Ji). Our focus then turns to a more local scale. Rounding out the symposium will be explorations of phylogenetic, geographic and cytological patterns in two widespread groups.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym086: Dating The Plant Tree Of Life: Biological And Methodological Questions
Organiser: Dr Susane Magallon - Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

An absolute temporal framework for land plant evolution, in addition to providing the ages of differentiation an diversification of plant lineages, would represent a substantial advance towards a better understanding of the timing of plant morphological evolution and biogeographic history. Additionally, it would provide fundamental data for estimation of rates of phylogenetic diversification and of molecular evolution        Recent methodological advances in divergence time estimation using molecular data represent powerful approaches that can potentially provide an accurate temporal framework for land plant evolution. These include the availability of molecular clock methods that allow among-lineage rate heterogeneity in the context of temporal rate autocorrelation, and more recently, without requiring a correlation between the substitution rate of ancestral and descendant branches. Equally important, there has been a widespread recognition of the fundamental importance of incorporating independent information to provide absolute signposts/calibrations to guide molecular dating. Usually, this independent information derives from the fossil record. The newly available relaxed molecular clocks explicitly allow investigators to incorporate fossil calibrations/constraints in molecular dating, with the possibility to reflect the nature of the fossil record, and the confidence we may have on particular fossils.   There has been substantial progress in obtaining a temporal framework for the evolution of major plant lineages, for example, leptosporangiate ferns, monocot, rosid and asterid angiosperms. Nevertheless, a general temporal framework of major land plant lineages has lingered, possibly as a consequence of the large amount of extinct land plant historical diversity. One major question is the timing of the onset of angiosperm diversification. Whereas the fossil record documents the earliest unequivocal angiosperm remains, and oldest angiosperm crown group members in the early Cretaceous, molecular dating studies have estimated a range of ages that are, in most cases, substantially older that the oldest angiosperm fossils.      In this symposium we bring together presentations that will evaluate the timing of evolution of major lineages of land plants, with a special focus on the timing of diversification of angiosperms, and of major angiosperm lineages. These studies are based on recent dating analyses using newly available methods, and incorporating critically evaluated fossil information. The range of topics that the symposium will cover are the timing of differentiation and diversification of major land plant lineages, with a special focus on the age of angiosperms, of angiosperm families, and of lineages of ferns s.l., all based on relaxed molecular clocks, and with critical input of fossil information. These dated phylogenies provide a framework to evaluate the biogeographic history of angiosperm evolution. Finally, the symposium will consider the relevance of fossil inputs in estimation of dates for land plants, and an integrative evaluation of the conflicting fossil and molecular dates for angiosperms, and its biologically meaning.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym087: Hornworts: Evolution, Biology And Biodiversity
Organiser: Dr D. Christine Cargill - Australian National Herbarium,

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym088: Plant DNA Barcoding
Organiser: Prof Andrew John Lowe - University Of Adelaide

DNA barcoding, the identification of species specific genomic markers, is set to revolutionise the way we undertake biodiversity discovery and identity. With the large scale support and international funding a number of largescale DNa barcoding activities are now underway (e.g. the Consortium of Barcoding Of Life, CBOL and International Barcoding Of Life, IBOL). This symposium is intended to cover the latest developments in the DNA barcoding of land plants, including the locus selection debate, and to provide an overview of global DNA barcoding activities in plants.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym089: An Overview Of Legume Systematics: Towards A Phylogenetic Classification Of The Family
Organiser: Patrick S. Herendeen,  Chicago Botanic Garden

In the past two decades we have made tremendous progress in our understanding of the evolutionary history of the Leguminosae.  Recent phylogenetic analyses, based on both molecular and morphological data, at all levels of the legume tree of life, bring into question the traditionally accepted taxonomic structure of the family (three subfamilies – Caesalpinioideae, Mimosoideae, Papilionoideae). The international community of legume systematists is poised to propose a new higher level classification of the economically and ecologically important family.  This symposium will examine the theoretical and practical challenges to arriving at a phylogenetic classification of the family: problems of incomplete taxon and data sampling and methods for combining disparate trees and diverse data sources (e.g., morphological, sequence and genomic data) will be addressed specifically with examples from the Leguminosae.  This will be followed by an overview of phylogenetic relationships, based on recent analyses of sequence data (chloroplast and nuclear genes), genomic, morphological and divergence time estimates for major clades within the family.  The systematics of each of the three traditional subfamilies faces different challenges that need to be addressed prior to arriving at a general classification of the family as a whole.  For example, the paraphyletic structure of the Caesalpinioideae must be better understood, each lineage strongly supported and relationships among them clearly resolved before we can determine whether these clades should be recognised at the tribal or subfamily level.  In the Mimosoideae, one of the lingering questions remains the delimitation of this subfamily from the Caesalpinioideae, whether some taxa placed in the Dimorphandra Group of the latter might best be considered as part of the Mimosoideae.  The distinction between the Papilionoideae and Caesalpinioideae is clearer, but as the largest of the three subfamilies, the greatest challenge faced by systematists of this subfamily will be the resolution of early-branching lineages and the identification of clear morphological synapomorphies to diagnose each of these and other defined subclades.  The Leguminosae are one of the largest and most diverse of angiosperm families, but with the wide array of fossil, geological and geographical evidence that are accumulating, biogeographical patterns are emerging that can be explained by underlying processes common to most clades in the family.  The synthesis of these and other studies of evolutionary phenomena in the family will be advanced as a consequence the new phylogenetic classification of the Leguminosae that is being proposed by the legume community.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym090: Hydatellaceae And Early Angiosperm Evolution
Organiser: Dr Paula Rudall - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The high degree of morphological diversity among early-divergent extant angiosperms contradicts the traditional paradigm of early angiosperm evolution as an incremental accumulation of adaptive innovations leading to the major diversifications of monocots and eudicots. A large number of ancient extinctions compounds the problem. The recent robust phylogenetic placement of Hydatellaceae as sister to the waterlilies places this family among the most ancient surviving lineages of angiosperms. This remarkable discovery presents a unique opportunity for comparative studies of early angiosperm evolution. Like Hydatellaceae (1 genus, 12 species), most extant early-divergent angiosperm lineages are relatively species-poor, but assume disproportional significance in comparative studies of angiosperm evolution. Species of Trithuria (Hydatellaceae) are inconspicuous plants, mostly from Australia, but with outliers in India and New Zealand. They are interesting not only for their critical phylogenetic placement and highly unusual morphology, but also for their disjunct biogeography, diversity of life strategies and ecology in seasonal wetland habitats. Detailed comparative studies are establishing these plants as emerging new model organisms among early-divergent angiosperms.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym091: Phylogeny, Character Evolution And Biogeography Of Cyperaceae: Unpacking Patterns And Processes
Organiser: A/Prof Jeremy J. Bruhl - University of New England

Phylogeny, Character Evolution and Biogeography of Cyperaceae:  Unpacking Patterns and Processes. The Cyperaceae are one of the world’s ten most diverse families of flowering plants (Stevens, 2008).  Comprising over 5400 species (Govaerts et al., 2009), the family widespread, biologically diverse, ecologically important, broadly utilized by humans and many are weeds. A sound systematic foundation for the Cyperaceae is emerging and so too are various basic scientific issues of broader import for botany, ecology and conservation biology.  We present a synthesis of knowledge based on diverse approaches, data sources, methods of analysis in Cyperaceae that inform on the family and act as models for other groups in approach and cooperation.  A broad analysis of the phylogeny of the Cyperaceae (1) sets the scene for our general approach to the systematics of the family (2). A more detailed study of a major polyphyletic tribe, Schoeneae, impacts on classification and understanding of synapomorphy in Cyperaceae generally (3). Dealing with the results of phylogeny of Cypereae echoes eudicot studies in Veronica sensu lato (4). New approaches to understanding floral ontogeny may allow consensus of previously divergent interpretations (5). In the past, studies of cytological evolution in Cyperaceae have mostly been restricted to Carex and Eleocharis. Recent studies in Lepidosperma (Schoeneae) provide opportunity to seek broader understanding of evolutionary processes across the family (6).  Organizers:  Jeremy Bruhl, Muthama Muasya, Dave Simpson (and possibly Ana Claudia Araujo).

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym092: Origins And Evolution Of Australian Rainforest Floras
Organiser: Dr Maurizio Rossetto - National Herbarium of NSW

Australian rainforests, while occupying a tiny fraction (<1%) of the continental land surface, contain high levels of biodiversity. The Australian rainforest floras include exceptionally high levels of endemism and are famously rich in representatives of so called ‘basal’ angiosperm lineages. Extant Australian rainforest assemblages are highly fragmented and are scattered in patches of different size primarily along the eastern ranges, with pockets of monsoonal vine forest across the Top End. This represents a latitudinal range overall (Cape York to Tasmania) of over 32 degrees. The current distribution is thought to represent the remnants of a once much greater distribution spanning much of the current continental land mass, and previously Gondwana.  New research in palaeoecology, systematics, functional ecology, population genetics and environmental modelling is bringing to the fore some exciting new perspectives that are changing the way we see and understand the evolution of rainforest flora. This symposium will showcase this research along a spatial gradient from north to south and  a temporal gradient (from Gondwanan fossil communities to gene flow among extant populations) using a range of approaches (from molecular phylogenetics to plot-based distributional data).

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym093: New Insights Into The Biogeography Of Fungi And Lichens In The Southern Hemisphere
Organiser: Dr Thorsten Lumbsch - The Field Museum

There is a growing body of evidence from recent molecular studies that fungi and lichens, like plants and animals, have discrete distribution patterns and population structures that can be assessed and tested within a phylogenetic framework. Therefore it is time to retire the classic paradigm of 'everything is everywhere' for these organisms. In tandem with recent developments in statistical biogeography, these studies provide a new picture of the evolution of the lichen and fungus flora of Australia and other continents of the southern Hemisphere. Molecular methods have shown that the morphology-based species concept in these fungi vastly underestimates the number of phylogenetic species. Several studies showed that taxa that were believed to have a worldwide distribution, in fact belong to different species in different continents and that minute morphological and/or chemical differences have been underestimated. Further, recent studies also showed that the extent of parallel evolution is large with several examples showing similar trends in the evolution of phenotypic characters independly in different continents. The symposium should present and integrate these new developments for different groups of fungi and lichens, including different classes of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. The symposium contributions will include examples in which a refined species delimitation allowed understanding of the evolution of lichen clades and their diversification in Australia and subsequent range extensions through long-distance dispersal, parallel evolution of clades in the northern and southern Hemisphere, the role of herbivory in the evolution of hypogaeous fungi in the southern Hemisphere, and the amount of endemism in Australian fungi.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym094: Evolutionary Systematics And Paraphyly
Organiser: Dr Elvira Hoerandl - University of Vienna and Tod Stuessey

The evolution of organisms is driven by descent and modification.  The aim of evolutionary systematics is to take these processes into consideration for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships involving many dimensions. In this symposium, we will present various novel molecular and bioinformatic approaches for recognizing cladogenesis, anagenesis and reticulate evolution in different organisms, which will help reveal micro- and macroevolutionary processes. Despite recent progress in understanding evolutionary relationships, especially through new molecular data and quantitative methods of analysis, controversies still exist regarding how taxonomists should incorporate the diversity of evolutionary patterns and processes into biological classification. Case studies will demonstrate that current, purely phylogenetic (cladistic) concepts of classification appear unsatisfactory in cases of non-hierarchical relationships. Contributions will also deal with the controversial question of recognition of paraphyletic groups in classification. Our main aim is to present a broad view of evolutionary systematics. Molecular approaches and nocel statistical methods will open new avenues for understanding grouping processes. The discussion of classification is of crucial relevance for biodiversity research, flora writing, and conservation issues.  The session coordinators are Tod F. Stuessy and Elvira Hörandl.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym095: The Origin Of Fern Diversity In The Indopacific Realm (SE Asia, Australasia)
Organiser: Dr Leon Perrie - Museum Of New Zealand

Organisers: Harald Schneider (UK), Leon Perrie (New Zealand)  The region ranging from south-east Asia to New Zealand forms a transect that connects the northern temperate hemisphere via the tropical climate zone to the southern temperate hemisphere. The contact between south-east Asia and the Australian craton was formed only in relatively recent geological times as a result of the move of Australia to the north.  The collision created not only the Malay Archipelago but also allowed a unique exchange between two major floras in the last ten million years. The region includes not only a vast array of climates but comprises also several major biodiversity hotspots. The symposium aims to untangle major aspects of the evolution of the unique fern diversity in this region by addressing the biodiversity via studies that use different approaches including phylogenetic and distribution modelling based biodiversity assessments.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym096: Brassicales Comparative Evolution, Development And Genomics
Organiser: Dr M. Eric Schranz - University Of Amsterdam

The wealth of genetic and genomic resources available for the Brassicaceae, particularly the Brassica vegetables and the model species Arabidopsis thaliana, creates unique opportunities for comparative analyses across the order Brassicales.  A prerequisite for comparative studies across this group is robust phylogenies.  During the last several years great strides have been made in our understanding of phylogenetic relationships across the order and within each family.  These new developments greatly aid in the study and interpretation of evolutionary patterns.  An increasing number of researchers are actively investigating morphological, physiological and genomic features across this diverse group utilizing a phylogenetic framework.  These recent advances make it is an ideal time to bring a representative cross-section of researchers together.  This symposium is envisioned as an opportunity for scientists working on comparative analyses across this important plant order to present information about (1) the most update phylogenetic analyses for these groups; (2) and how this phylogenetic information is being utilized to study comparative genomic, morphological and developmental traits.  One of the major goals is to foster communication between researchers from a broad range of disciplines.  We further propose to link our session with the sister-session: “Systematics and evolution of Brassicaceae” being organized by Dr. Karol Marhold and Dr. Ihsan Al-Shehbaz.  We have coordinated our efforts to bring together a diverse group of topics and speakers.  We want these two sessions to be in the same room with the Brassicaceae session first followed by the Brassicales session.  We plan to publish the two sessions together as a conference proceedings.  Symposium organisers: M. Eric Schranz, M.E.Schranz@uva.nl, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands J. Chris Pires, piresjc@missouri.edu, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym097: Systematics And Evolution Of Brassicaceae
Organiser: Prof Karol Marhold - Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences

Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) is a large family comprising about 338 genera and c. 3,700 species. The family is known to include important crops as well as model species in various fields of plant research. Considerable progress is visible in studies devoted to Brassicaceae evolution since the last International Botanical Congress in Vienna in 2005. Vast amount of new knowledge appeared on different taxonomical levels, covering tribal relationships and generic delimitation within the family, studies of particular genera, such as Lepidium or Pachycladon, but also microevolutionary relationships within polyploid complexes and species groups. The advancement in our knowledge on evolutionary patterns within the family is considerably influenced also by thorough studies of polyploidy, genome size and karyotype evolution. The Brassicaceae research took also all advantages from the close relationships of studied taxa to Arabidopsis thaliana that has played the unparalleled role as a model system in plant genetic and genomic research. Wide spectrum of methods was applied recently to address evolutionary relationships within the family, spanning from classical multivariate morphometrics, to the crossing experiments, GISH, karyotype analysis , genome size estimation, p phylogenetics based on both nuclear and cpDNA, and whole-genome sequencing. Complementing proposed symposium on “Brassicales comparative evolution, development and genomics”, this meeting aims to summarise recent progress in Brassicaceae studies and to present ideas for further research. The symposium will become an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas among the Brassicaceae students and to present new (research) findings on this family to the broad scientific audience.  We further propose to link our session with the sister-session: “Brassicales comparative evolution, development and genomics” being organized by Dr. M. Eric Schanz and Dr. J. Chris Pires.  We have coordinated our efforts to bring together a diverse group of topics and speakers.  We want these two sessions to be in the same room with the Brassicaceae session first followed by the Brassicales session.  We plan to publish the two sessions together as a conference proceedings.  Symposium organisers: Karol Marhold, karol.marhold@savba.sk, Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan.Al-Shehbaz@mobot.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym098: Fine-Scale Phylogenetics And Biogeography In Mosses
Organiser: Prof Brent Mishler - University of California

Despite their diversity, phylogenetic importance, and key roles in the ecosystems of the world, study of the biology of bryophytes has lagged behind that of the larger land plants, perhaps because of their small size and the few scientists specializing on them.  This is unfortunate because of the intrinsic scientific interest of these plants.  Many aspects need much more study, but what is known about bryophyte biology suggests that the bryophytes differ in most ways in their genetics, physiology, ecology, and evolution from tracheophytes.  Major differences in bryophyte biology from vascular plants include: (1) Haploid dominance in the alternation of generations.  (2) Extensive phenotypic plasticity.  (3) Poikilohydry and desiccation-tolerance.  (4) Need for free water for sexual reproduction.  (5) The clump acting as a 'super-organism.'  (6) Heavy reliance on asexual reproduction.  (7) Small stature and the occupation of microhabitats.  (8) Less selection pressure from the biotic component of the environment than from the physical component.  (9) Relatively slow evolutionary rates in morphology.      There are currently relatively few narrow endemic species of bryophytes as compared to tracheophytes; however, comparisons of endemicity with vascular plants are problematic because species concepts in bryophytes are quite different.  Better understanding of bryophytes, and their biogeography, ecology, and evolution is emerging recently because of both empirical and conceptual advances.  New molecular and quantitative ecological and distributional data are being developed and applied using better conceptual models and informatics tools.          These talks are designed to show the 'state of the art' in fine-scale phylogenetics and biogeography in mosses.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym099: Floral Evolution: What We Know And What We Don’t Know (Yet)
Organiser: Dr Herve Sauquet - Universite Paris

The flowering plants (angiosperms) represent the most significant radiation in land plants and they dominate most terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, they are of major importance for mankind as a source of food and countless other products we depend on in our everyday lives. It is therefore not surprising that patterns and processes of flowering plant diversification have been a favorite topic of many generations of botanists. In spite of numerous efforts, the evolutionary history of the group is still only fragmentarily understood. What is clear is that the evolutionary success and the stunning diversity of the flowering plants are intimately connected with the diversification of floral structure and floral biology. Pollination, fertilization, and seed production all take place within the flower, making flowers central to the biology of flowering plants as a whole. For a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary history of these organisms the study of flowers is therefore of fundamental significance.  During the past two decades, outstanding progress has been made in reconstructing the phylogeny of flowering plants at all levels, in discovering and understanding the early fossil record of the group, and in tracking the genetic bases of floral variation. Yet, numerous questions remain. How significant have pollination syndromes been in shaping floral diversity? When and how many times did key floral innovations evolve? What were ancestral flowers like throughout the angiosperm backbone tree? Answers to these and countless other questions will not be simple but rather highly complex, multilayered, and variable depending on the phylogenetic lineage considered. In order to do justice to the complexity of the task at hand, it will be crucial to synthesize results from different fields and complementary approaches. Therefore, this symposium brings together researchers from various disciplines, including Evo-Devo, paleobotany, phylogenetics, comparative morphology, and pollination ecology. It is our aim to promote the dialogue among disciplines, to develop pluralistic viewpoints, to focus on broad-scale analyses, and to question the state-of-the-art in deciphering the evolutionary history of the flower and of flowering plants as a whole.  Co-organizers: Herve Sauquet (Universite Paris-Sud 11, Orsay, France) Sophie Nadot (Universite Paris-Sud 11, Orsay, France) Jurg Schonenberger (University of Vienna, Austria).

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym100: Molecular Data And The Changing Circumscriptions Of The Genera And Tribes Of Grasses (Poaceae)
Organiser: Dr Jeffery M. Saarela - Canadian Museum of Nature Paul M. Peterson - National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

The grass family, with some 11,000 species, is economically and ecologically important throughout the world.  In the last decade, based on insights from molecular data, the family has benefited from a major reclassification at the subfamily level, and substantial new understanding has emerged on the evolutionary history of many major lineages (i.e., supertribes, tribes and genera).  As a consequence, generic and tribal realignments are being proposed in the production of new classifications that reflect phylogenetic history, a trend that is showing no signs of slowing down as levels of taxon and genome sampling increase. This symposium will bring together researchers working on the evolutionary history of major grass lineages in different subfamilies, including Bambusoideae, Chloridoideae, Panicoideae and Pooideae, who will present emerging molecular-based results on our changing understanding of the limits of grass genera and tribes.  Co-organizers: Jeffery M. Saarela, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Paul M. Peterson, Dept. of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, U.S.A.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym101: Cenozoic Paleofloras Of The Southern Hemisphere: Analyzing Ancient Floras Using Modern Techniques
Organiser: Prof Elizabeth Hermsen - Cornell University

Flowering plants display spectacular reproductive diversity and a wide array of floral adaptations. Why should plant reproductive structures exhibit such great variety? This question is perplexing when one considers that they serve just one function — to promote mating. The answer lies in the immobility of plants and their need to engage the services of pollen vectors to ensure cross-fertilization and the production of offspring of high genetic quality. The diversification in form and function of flowers is associated with an equally impressive variety of mating strategies and sexual systems. Understanding the causes and consequences of this diversity has been an enduring source of curiosity since the birth of the biological sciences. Indeed, Charles Darwin wrote three seminal books on plant reproductive biology and his work laid the conceptual foundation for future research on the evolution and adaptive significance of variation in plant reproductive systems.  A particularly striking feature of plant reproductive diversity is that related species often differ in pollination and mating systems, and intra-specific variation in sexual traits is commonplace, especially among herbaceous plant groups with wide geographical distributions. This variation provides outstanding opportunities to link micro-evolutionary processes to the macro-evolutionary patterns that are evident within lineages. Our symposium will provide an up-to-date overview of recent progress in this field. Participants will discuss the evolution and function of floral traits, consider the ecological and genetic mechanisms responsible for transitions among reproductive systems, and develop links between micro-evolutionary processes and macro-evolutionary patterns. Diverse methods and approaches for solving evolutionary questions will be highlighted in the symposium including theoretical modeling, comparative and phylogenetic analyses, marker-gene analysis of mating patterns, field experiments and application of the tools of ecological and evolutionary genetics.  A focus of our symposium will be consideration of the three most significant evolutionary transitions in the reproductive biology of flowering plants: the pathway from outcrossing to predominant self-fertilization, the origin of separate sexes (females and males) from hermaphroditism, and the shift from animal pollination to wind pollination. For each evolutionary transition speakers will consider what we have discovered and some of the problems that still remain unsolved. Finally, attention will also be given to how new approaches might influence future research on plant reproductive diversity.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym102: Evolution and ecology of plant reproductive diversity
Organisers: Spencer C.H. Barrett and David L. Field

Flowering plants display spectacular reproductive diversity and a wide array of floral adaptations. Why should plant reproductive structures exhibit such great variety? This question is perplexing when one considers that they serve just one function - to promote mating. The answer lies in the immobility of plants and their need to engage the services of pollen vectors to ensure cross-fertilization and the production of offspring of high genetic quality. The diversification in form and function of flowers is associated with an equally impressive variety of mating strategies and sexual systems. Understanding the causes and consequences of this diversity has been an enduring source of curiosity since the birth of the biological sciences. Indeed, Charles Darwin wrote three seminal books on plant reproductive biology and his work laid the conceptual foundation for future research on the evolution and adaptive significance of variation in plant reproductive systems.

A particularly striking feature of plant reproductive diversity is that related species often differ in pollination and mating systems, and intra-specific variation in sexual traits is commonplace, especially among herbaceous plant groups with wide geographical distributions. This variation provides outstanding opportunities to link micro-evolutionary processes to the macro-evolutionary patterns that are evident within lineages. Our symposium will provide an up-to-date overview of recent progress in this field. Participants will discuss the evolution and function of floral traits, consider the ecological and genetic mechanisms responsible for transitions among reproductive systems, and develop links between microevolutionary processes and marcoevolutionary patterns. Diverse methods and approaches for solving evolutionary questions will be highlighted in the symposium including theoretical modeling, comparative and phylogenetic analyses, marker-gene analysis of mating patterns, field experiments and application of the tools of ecological and evolutionary genetics.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym103: Recent Advances And New Developments In Biogeographical Reconstruction Methods
Organiser: Dr Felix Forest - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The fields of evolutionary biology and phylogenetics have witness considerable methodological advances in recent years. The main factors responsible for this progress are the implementation of analytical techniques based on new developments in maximum likelihood and Bayesian computation and the significant and constant increase in computing capacities. Biogeography has also greatly benefited from these analytical improvements. New approaches to biogeographical reconstructions were developed using parametric models, i.e. methods that model range evolution along branches on a phylogenetic tree according to probabilistic models in which parameters are biogeographical processes such as dispersal, extinction and range expansion. The principal advantages of these parametric methods over conventional parsimony-based methods are the possibility they offer regarding the integration of evolutionary time estimates, take into account uncertainty in ancestral range and phylogenetic relationships, and allow user-defined connections between areas in time and space.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym104: Patterns And Processes In The Evolution And Biogeography Of The Australasian Flora
Organiser: Ms Maria Gandolfo - Cornell University

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym105: Evolution In Orchids - At The Interface Of Populations And Species
Organiser: Prof Mark Chase - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

These presentations will focus on phenomena at the species/population interface, particularly hybridization, changes in ploidy and environmental adaptation. These are important topics in many groups of orchids and contribute to the speciation dynamics of the family as a whole. Some of the orchid groups are temperate and others tropical, so this set of speakers will provide a range of subjects that span the diversity of the family.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym106: Monocot Phylogeny And Evolution
Organiser: Prof Thomas Givnish - University Of Wisconsin

Monocot Phylogeny and Evolution – John Conran and Thomas Givnish, organizers  Monocotyledons – with ca. 65,000 species in 82 families and 12 orders, and including such groups as the grasses, sedges, bromeliads, palms, gingers, bananas, orchids, irises, lilies, yams, pondweeds, aroids, and seagrasses – are one of the two most diverse, morphologically varied, and ecologically successful clades of angiosperms, and certainly the economically most important.  Since they arose in the Cretaceous, monocots have radiated into almost every habitat on earth.  Today, they dominate many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, display remarkable variation in vegetative and floral form, provide the basis for most of the human diet, support a huge horticultural industry, include large numbers of endangered species, and comprise nearly one-quarter of all species and families of flowering plants.  Understanding their origin, phylogeny, and patterns of morphological evolution, geographic diversification, and ecological radiation is thus a grand challenge and opportunity for evolutionary biologists.  Over the past two decades, molecular systematics has revolution¬ized our understanding of monocot relationships and led to a dramatic reclassification of the monocots.  Yet even the most powerful of the recent analyses of broad-scale relationships within the monocots have left many relationships within orders weakly supported, as well as a few of those among orders.  In this symposium, we will examine some of the new approaches to understanding monocot phylogeny and using to understand broad patterns of evolution.  Such new directions include the use of (1) the DNA sequences of entire plastid genomes (plastomes) representing all monocot families to produce a fully resolved, well-supported backbone phylogeny; (2) the sequences of entire mitochondrial genomes to confirm the plastome phylogeny and extend it to mycoheterotrophic taxa; (3) the sequences of the entire expressed complement of RNAs (transcriptomes) of young leaf tissue, including potentially hundreds or thousands of low-copy nuclear genes, to produce a nuclear phylogeny; (4) a data set of ca. 200 morphological characters, with which to assess relationships independently, reconstruct patterns of morphological evolution, and create the basis for rigorously diagnosing fossil taxa; (5) large sets of new monocot fossils, including many from Australia and other parts of the southern hemisphere; and (6) coverage of at least one member of each of the 1200 monocot genera using two plastid genes. This symposium should provide a guide to recent research by the Monocot AToL Team in the United States, the monocot mitochondrial genome initiative in Denmark, the European monocot initiative based in the United Kingdom, and research on fossil monocots in Australia.  These new approaches are producing an avalanche of new data – including billions of bases of new sequences – with which to assess monocot phylogeny and evolution.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym107: Advances In Solanaceae Research – Genomics To Biodiversity
Organiser: Dr Sandra Knapp - The Natural History Museum

The Solanaceae is an economically important, cosmopolitan family with over 3000 species in some 90 genera. Solanaceae are found on all continents with the exception of Antarctica.  The family has members occurring in all habitats, from the driest deserts on the western coasts of South America to the dense wet tropical rainforests of the Amazon and South East Asia. Life forms range from canopy trees to minute ephemeral herbs, and members of the family also exhibit a wide range of floral and fruit morphologies. The Solanaceae include globally important food crops such as potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), tomatoes (S. lycopersicum L.), eggplants (S. melongena L.), and chili peppers (Capsicum spp.) as well as a number of widely used drug plants such as Nicotiana L., the source of nicotine, and Atropa L., the source of atropine. The genomes of tomato and tobacco are among the most thoroughly studied of angiosperms, ranking alongside those of many economically important cereal grasses. The family has recently been the focus of intensive efforts across several fields of plant science – with Solanum the focus of a worldwide taxonomic monograph funded by the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory programme of the US National Science Foundation (http://www.solanaceaesource.org), a new family level phylogeny published (Olmstead et al. 2008), and the complete genome sequence of both tomato and potato  being simultaneously published by international consortia. What have these new resources brought to our understanding of this economically important group? Have the new genomic tools helped in our understanding of the evolutionary relationships of members of the family, and has new species level systematic research stimulated further genomic work? In this symposium we will bring together plant scientists working with members of the Solanaceae across the spectrum from genomics to biodiversity, and will show how research programmes in such apparently differing fields have much to offer to each other. This family furnishes an example of how taxonomically focused research can and should integrate with new technologies, and how these linkages can improve not only understanding of evolutionary patterns and processes, but conservation of plant diversity as well. We will also explore the future for further linking apparently disparate specialties within the plant sciences for the benefit of all.  This symposium will link across two of the themes for IBC2011 – “Systematics, evolution, biogeography & biodiversity informatics” and “Genetics, genomics & bioinformatics”, but will also comprise contributions from the fields of plant breeding, developmental biology and conservation.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym108: After The Break-Up: Dispersal And Biogeography Of Late Gondwanan Austral-Pacific Plant Lineages
Organiser: Dr Timothy J. Motley - Old Dominion University

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym109: Next Generation Palm Phylogenetics
Organiser: Dr Conny B. Asmussen-Lange - University Of Copenhagen

Over the past 15 years, many challenges in palm molecular phylogenetics have been surmounted, especially the consequences of low rates of molecular evolution, to achieve a robust phylogenetic framework for the Arecaceae. At least 50 phylogenetic studies have been completed, including extensive family-wide plastid DNA analyses, and a phylogenetic synthesis incorporating all 183 genera has been built using supertree methods. As a result, a new phylogenetic classification of the palms has been established that underpins a recent generic monograph, Genera Palmarum Edition 2, published in 2008. The phylogenetic framework has also facilitated innovative comparative, biogeographic and ecological analyses. However, these advances rely on a relatively narrow data and analytical foundation. Heavy exploitation of plastid genes has given good results in higher-level studies, but how much more will this genome yield? The nuclear genome has scarcely been explored and those regions that have been studied have given mixed results. Palm phylogenetic research has now reached a cross-roads at which new directions and priorities must be decided. This symposium aims to explore key issues and set the agenda for the next decade of palm phylogenetics. We aim to address the following key questions? What are the outstanding systematic problems in palm phylogenetics? How can data sampling and analytical approaches improve palm phylogenetic research efficiency? How must traditional molecular phylogenetic approaches change to resolve these problems? Can next generation genome-scale sequencing approaches play a useful role? How can phylogenetic and DNA bar-coding agendas be reconciled and integrated? How can palm phylogenetic research best serve the users of phylogenies? We have drawn together the most active players in palm phylogenetics along with key newcomers and experts in broader initiatives in monocot systematics. This combination of expertise and experience will ensure that the hottest topics are addressed and will guarantee lively debate at IBC 2011.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym110: Historical Biogeography Of Malesia And Its Effects On Current Patterns Of Plant Diversity
Organiser: Prof Peter Van Welzen - National Herbarium of the Netherlands

The Malesian archipelago is home to several of the world's tropical biodiversity hotspots, despite possessing a relatively small percentage of land area.  It harbours an estimated 40,000 species of plants. This compelling condition is largely due to its dynamic and complex geological history that created a series of large continental islands and smaller oceanic islands with different tectonic movements, various collisions, often a late appearance above sea level and various connections during glacial periods. Two major barriers, variants of the famous Wallace line, divide the area into three regions, a western Sunda Shelf, central Wallacea (including Java) and an eastern Sahul Shelf. Recent studies have improved our understanding of many of the details of this history. The speakers include leading authorities on the biotic and geological evidence, both past and present, and proponents of phylogeography and new modeling techniques for analysing detailed spatial patterns.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym114: Applying New Tools To Identify Species And To Understand The Evolution And Ecology Of Tropical Tree Diversity
Organiser: Dr John Kress - Smithsonian Institution

Tropical forests are the most biologically diverse of terrestrial biomes. Despite the ecological importance and economic potential of tropical trees, many of these species lack scientific names and many woody plant species in some of the most intensively studied forest research plots remain difficult to identify. DNA diagnostic tools, including plastid DNA barcodes and multi-locus genomic markers, can be applied to tropical forests to facilitate species identity and taxonomic discovery. Such genetic surveys, especially those now being carried out in forest dynamics plots around the world, require expanded herbarium infrastructure and linkages in field ecology, population genetics, and bioinformatics. The fusion of traditional botany and molecular methods will provide baseline data for understanding both the origin and maintenance of tropical tree diversity.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym115: Systematics, Evolution And Diversification In The Sapindales
Organiser: Prof Alexandra Nora Muellner - Goethe University And Senckenberg Research Institute

The Sapindales represent a diverse and economically important group of eudicots including citrus, mahogany, tree-of-heaven, cashew, mango, pistachio, frankincense, myrrh, lychee, rambutan, maple, and buckeye.  The APG system recognizes nine families in the order including: Anacardiaceae, Biebersteiniaceae, Burseraceae, Kirkiaceae, Meliaceae, Nitriaceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae (incl. Aceraceae and Hippocastanaceae), and Simaroubaceae.  In the last decade, researchers have made significant contributions to our understanding of evolution and diversification within the Sapindales: the order has been shown to be monophyletic, evolutionary relationships within and among families have been identified, morphological, anatomical, and structural links between families have been uncovered, and domestication histories have been elucidated.  This symposium represents a synthesis of diverse methodological approaches, including biogeography, comparative morphology and anatomy, evolutionary ecology, molecular phylogenetics, paleobotany, population genetics, phylogeography, and systematics, providing a unique opportunity for biologists to consider evolution and diversification within a single order from a variety of perspectives.  For researchers working within the order, the symposium will serve to highlight the latest advances in this group, stimulating further collaboration among researchers involved in Sapindales research.  For the broader audience, the Sapindales Symposium represents an opportunity to consider how integrated, complementary approaches from a variety of disciplines can be used to achieve a deeper understanding of the evolutionary and ecological forces influencing diversification within a lineage.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym116: Exploring The Fern Frontier: Identifying The Next Generation Of Challenges In Fern Biology
Organiser: Jordan Metzgar and Nathalie Nagalingum - University Of Alaska Fairbanks

Ferns form the second largest lineage of vascular plants today and are an essential component of ecosystems from the tropics to the tundra.  Recent years have seen a proliferation of fern phylogenetic studies ranging from large-scale treatments using hundreds of taxa to small subgeneric treatments.  In 1995, at the beginning of a new era in fern research, Smith posed 16 longstanding taxonomic questions that could potentially be addressed using molecular phylogenetic tools.  Today, all of these 16 questions have been answered.  The advent and decreasing cost of genomic tools offer the ability to explore new research frontiers, and thus, address a new set of challenges.  This symposium will synthesize breakthroughs that have already been achieved with these new tools and will explore the synergy between phylogenetic data and new approaches in genomics, fossil history, conservation biology and ecology.  Presentations will span a range of topics, including computer-based modeling of climate change resilience, integrating fern fossil history with phylogenetic concepts, and determining the physiological basis of desiccation tolerance and the genomic consequences of diploidization.  At the end of this symposium we will conclude by identifying the new set of challenges that await the fern community in the emerging genomics era.  Organisers: Jordan Metzgar & Nathalie Nagalingum  Endorsed by the American Fern Society.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym117: Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Evolution Of Asparagales
Organiser: Dr P. Roxanne Steele - University Of Missouri - Columbia

The monocot order Asparagales includes the families Asparagaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Iridaceae, Orchidaceae, and several other families that have diversified in the southern hemisphere (Asteliaceae, Blandfordiaceae, Boryaceae, Hypoxidaceae, Tecophilaeaceae, and Xanthorrhoeaceae).  The Asparagales include important crop plants such as Allium, Asparagus, and Vanilla, as well as lesser-known crops (aloe and agave) and a host of ornamentals such as amaryllids, irises, hyacinths, and orchids.  The Asparagales are fascinating not only for their spectacular morphological variation and biogeographic diversification, but also because of their highly variable genomes. Asparagales have a wide range of chromosome numbers (2n = 4-228) and genome sizes (0.48 – 75.9 pg).  They also have experienced both ancient and recent gene and genome duplication events.  One mystery in several clades of the Asparagales is whether bimodal karyotypes have evolved by polyploidy or fission/fusion events.  The wealth of genetic resources available for the Asparagales, particularly for Asparagus and Allium, creates opportunities for comparative analyses and constructing robust phylogenies.  During the last several years, much progress has been made in our understanding of phylogenetic relationships across the order and within each family.  These new developments greatly aid in the study and interpretation of evolutionary patterns.  An increasing number of researchers are actively investigating morphological, physiological, and genomic features across this diverse group utilizing a phylogenetic framework.  These recent advances make it an ideal time to bring a representative group of international researchers together.  This symposium is planned as an opportunity for scientists working on comparative analyses across this important monocot order to present information about the most updated phylogenetic analyses and how these phylogenies inform comparative studies of biogeography, chromosome evolution, and morphological traits.  One of the major goals is to foster communication between international researchers from a broad range of disciplines.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym118: The Plant List  - A New Widely Accessible Online Working List Of All Plant Species
Organiser: Dr Robert Magill - Missouri Botanical Garden Dr Alan Paton - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

In response to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG) and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) have embarked upon a joint effort to create a widely accessible working list of all plant species.  Recognizing the reality of the taxonomic impediment caused by a world-wide shortage of plant taxonomists, new techniques were conceived to combine existing global checklists with available regional and national floras/checklists and monographic data to produce a list that would reflect a best effort global taxonomic consensus for plants.  The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSPF) at RBG Kew containing 374,000 globally synonymized plant names was used as a basic foundation.  Using a novel heuristically-driven computerized process, the WCSPF was synthesized with the Tropicos® database at MBG, which added another 673,000 synonymized names, plus other data from RBG Kew, the new Compositae checklist, the African plant database and other sources.  The result of this process is a globally synonymized working list of 1.3 million plant names, including angiosperms and bryophytes, named The Plant List.  The Plant List is accessible online via web sites hosted at MBG and RBG Kew.  This symposium will explore the activities, the impacts, and the implications of The Plant List. How was this collaboration initiated and sustained?  What challenges were faced and overcome?  Who were the participants in this endeavor? What novel techniques were employed?  What will be the impacts and outcomes of this new resource?  What new activities are now envisioned for the future?  Symposium organizers: Robert Magill, Missouri Botanical Garden Alan Paton, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym119: Progress In Placing Gymnosperms On The Tree Of Life
Organiser: Dr Sean Graham - University Of British Columbia

The decline of the gymnosperms and rise of the angiosperms was one of the most spectacular biotic turnovers in terrestrial ecosystems. The conifers, cycads, gnetophytes and Ginkgo are the sole gymnosperm remnants of a highly diverse radiation of seed-bearing plants that included many diverse extinct lineages. Resolving the evolutionary relationships among seed plants–including the point of origin of angiosperms–has proven to be one of the toughest challenges in plant phylogenetics. This symposium brings together substantial recent advances in placing gymnosperms on the seed-plant tree of life, based on new evidence from whole plastid genomes, densely sampled nuclear data and a large-scale examination of morphological data. Individual talks focus on relationships within several major groups (cycads, gnetophytes, Araucariaceae), and on advancing our understanding of the broad picture of seed-plant phylogeny, by integrating data from extant and extinct lineages. The consequences of these new results for improving our understanding of gymnosperm biology are also addressed.  Relationship to other symposia: This symposium addresses relationships among seed-plant clades and within some of the larger gymnosperm clades (cycads, gnetophytes, and araucarias). Our symposium is intended to partner and complement the symposium led by Gar Rothwell and Ignacio Escapo (a synthesis of results from studies of living and extinct conifers). Note: the latter symposium was submitted before the original symposium submission deadline; Gar Rothwell is working with us to maximize the complementarity of our two proposed symposia.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym120: Understanding Evolution In The Compositae
Organiser: Dr Vicki A Funk - Smithsonian Institution Pieter Pelser - University Of Canterbury

The recent book “Systematics, Evolution & Biogeography of the Compositae” answered some longstanding questions about evolution in the family but also exposed many unanswered ones. We propose to address three major questions where scientists are currently making good progress: 1) How do members of the family adapt and radiate into well defined ecosystems? 2) How do we interpret the discrepancy between the trees produced by nuclear data and those from chloroplast data? or What is happening at the genomic level? 3) How can 300+ scientists collaborate effectively to advance knowledge and bring order to such a large group? Providing an answer to these questions is critical if we are to gain an understanding of how evolution works in this large and important family.    The Compositae are well known for their radiations into many diverse ecosystems. Islands ecosystems have long served as laboratories for the study of evolution and Baldwin will discuss molecular and experimental studies of Compositae clades spanning several tribes in the Hawaiian, Juan Fernandez, and Macaronesian archipelagos. These studies have provided a large body of evidence on the importance of ecological opportunity, dispersal, and hybridization in colonization and evolutionary diversification on islands. Compositae show high levels of species diversity and endemism in Mediterranean climate zones and Pelser will discuss the origins of the family in these regions. New insights into the evolutionary relationships of the Compositae allow us to study patterns and processes of Mediterranean diversifications in the family.          Every clade in the family shows the same problem: different trees result from nuclear and cpDNA data. Chapman will examine patterns of gene and genome evolution. He and his collaborators are beginning to understand the types of changes that occurred as the family originated, and possible cues that allowed the family to diverge, radiate and spread worldwide. Gemeinholzer will examine multiple intergeneric hybridization events between ancestral lineages that resulted in cytoplasmic inheritance, revealed by incongruencies between nuclear and organel molecular markers. These chloroplast capture events occurred several times in the Compositae, so careful interpretation is necessary if species relationships are drawn from extensive chloroplast sampling only. Kane will use EST sequence data from three native species of Helianthus, as well as domesticated, weedy and invasive genotypes to enable comparisons of diversity, gene flow and divergence within and between species. Selective sweeps and adaptive introgression underline the importance of selection in enhancing gene flow at some loci, while disruptive or directional selection may increase divergence at other loci.   Examining evolution in large clades poses special challenges.  Funk will discuss new ways to identify problems, create solutions, and pool data to answer questions.  Three projects are underway: ‘Global Compositae Checklist’ (establish agreed on names), ‘Virtual Key for the Compositae” (global key to species), and Life Desks (which feed into the Encyclopedia of Life). Soon trees will be added through collaboration with WebTol. All this will provide rapid availability of the latest information and greatly speed up science while making this large family accessible to conservation biologists and the general public.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym121: Patterns And Processes Of Eucalyptus Evolution
Organiser: Ms Dorothy Steane - University Of Tasmania

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
Sym122: The 'bryophyte Tree Of Life (BryoToL)': Towards A Bryophyte Phylogeny Group (BPG)
Organiser: Dr Dietmar Quandt - Universität Bonn

Speakers and tentative titles:  Ute Volkmar and Volker Knoop (Backbone of mosses -  confirmed)  Neil Bell and co-authors (Phylogeny and Evolution of Polytrichopsida - confirmed)  Michael Stech and co-authors (Haplolepideous mosses - confirmed)  Dietmar Quandt and co-authors (Evolution of diplolepideous mosses - confirmed)  Lars Hedenäs (Pleurocarpous mosses - not confirmed)  Sanna Huttunen and co-authors (Hypnales - confirmed)  Boon Chuan Ho and co-authors (Hookeriales - not confirmed)  Molecular data have accumulated at a fast rate during the last two decades in bryophytes and have resulted in phylogeny estimates that substantially conflict with traditional concepts in many instances. As opposed to the ancient view that bryophytes display an extremely low evolutionary power, fast rates of morphological evolution have been repeatedly documented and may account for the weakness of the phylogenetic signal displayed by most of the key morphological characters previously used. In mosses, everything happens as if the historical signal had been erased during a period of radiation, which may coincide with the rapid diversification experienced by the Hypnales early in their relatively recent history. This problem may be compounded by subsequent rampant reduction, resulting in the loss of symplesiomorphies. As a consequence, it is not surprising that the characters used in the taxonomy have led to the recognition of poly- or paraphyletic taxa at all levels of the classification system. The results of this large endeavour to reconstruct bryophyte phylogeny were displayed in the course of two symposia respectively held in St Louis and Göttingen in 2004 and 2005. With the ease of generating molecular data together with the advancing bioinformatic tools as well as computational power, the amount of solid large scale multi-gene analyses are steadily increasing. However, as opposed to the well-organized Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, no coordination currently exists to link, summarize and disseminate the most recent results of those phylogenetic investigations. We therefore suggest that a Bryophyte Phylogeny Group (BPG) that would offer up-to-date, web-accessible information regarding the most recent concepts in bryophyte systematics and evolution should emerge quickly. As liverworts and hornworts are already extensively treated in separate symposia, this symposium will concentrate on the third and perhaps largest bryophyte lineage, the mosses, in order to have all bryophyte (research) groups represented at the IBC and to set the stage for BPG.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM128: The Global Plants Initiative:  A Digital Resource For Plant Biodiversity Research
Organiser: Dr Barbara Thiers - The New York Botanical Garden

At the Vienna IBC in 2005, under the umbrella of the African Plants Initiative, a multinational team including young botanists from  60 partner institutions representing 25 countries demonstrated a new information resource showcasing high resolution images of herbarium specimens from Africa, including many nomenclatural types.  Over the intervening six years, this digitization and data-sharing partnership has evolved into the Global Plants Initiative, which now involves many hundreds of botanists in more than 150 herbaria in 56 countries. Among this number are more than 17 countries in Latin America and also Nepal, our first partner in Asia.  The product originally launched as Aluka has been further developed and incorporated into JSTOR as JSTOR Plant Science.  The Global Plants Initiative owes its success to support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, new imaging technologies, converging data standards and a shared vision of a scholarly resource for plant science.  Through their cooperation on this monumental data sharing project, participating institutions have the opportunity to communicate with one another on a wide range of scientific and curatorial projects, laying the foundation for collaboration beyond the Global Plants Initiative.  Can the current momentum of the GPI project be maintained over the coming years, and what additional collaborations might it foster? What should JSTOR Plant Science look like by the 2017 IBC? How well do we understand our users and are planned developments in line with their current and future needs? Are there new communities of users for the GPI resource that were not anticipated at the outset of the project?

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM129: The Taxonomy And Phylogeny Of African Papilionoid Legumes
Organiser: Dr Annah Ntsamaeeng Moteetee and B.E. van Wyk- University Of Johannesburg

Title of Symposium: “The Taxonomy and Phylogeny of African Papilionoid Legumes”  Symposium coordinators: A.N. Moteetee and B.-E. van Wyk  Abstract. In recent years there have been numerous phylogenetic studies in which rigorous hypotheses of relationships have been proposed, based on molecular systematic evidence. These phylogenies provide exciting and interesting opportunities for re-interpreting structural, ecological and geographical information. In many cases, the non-homology of certain morphological characters has become evident. The Fabaceae is the largest plant family in sub-Saharan Africa, with 296 genera and 5154 taxa and an additional 289 naturalized taxa. Most of the legume diversity is centered in the papilionoid legumes, with 171 genera and approximately 4000 taxa occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. In Madagascar, the family is represented by 96 genera and 546 species, of which 63 genera and 341 species belong to the subfamily Papilionoideae. The aim of the symposium is to take stock of the current state of taxonomic knowledge on African and Madagascan papilionoid legumes and to identify gaps that should be addressed by future studies. The six lectures will cover the largest groups of legumes in Africa and Madagascar, including the tribes Crotalarieae (1138 taxa), Phaseoleae (nearly 800 taxa) and Indigofereae (approximately 635 taxa). The first lecture will focus on the taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography and the evolutionary drivers of pollination strategies and soil nutrition. The second will focus on the diversity of legumes in Madagascar, recent results of field work and the state of knowledge relating to phylogenetic studies. The next presentation will be a review of the taxonomy and relationships of the tribe Indigofereae. A broad review of African Phaseoleae is the topic of the fourth lecture. This will be followed by a report on the latest hypotheses of generic relationships in African genistoid legumes based on molecular and morphological evidence. Lastly, the progress towards a molecular phylogeny for the largest legume genus in Africa (Crotalaria) will be presented.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM130: Systematics Of Papilionoid Legumes In Iran
Organiser: A/Prof Shahrokh Kazempour Osaloo - Tarbiat Modares University

Iran is one of the important diversification centers of papilionoid legumes which is the second large family of flowering plants in the world. The genus Astragalus alone comprises about 800 species in the country. Genera Astragalus, Onobrychis, Vicia, Trifolium, Hedysarum, Medicago, Lathyrus and Oxytropis are among the forage species belonging to Inverted Repeat Lacking Clade. The phylogeny of these genera has been the subject of several previous papers, but there are many aspects needing to be revised and reconsidered from taxonomical point of view. In the framework of inferring the phylogeny and systematics of these genera several running projects are proposed. Different sources of taxonomical data including DNA sequences, isoenzyme, anatomy, micromorphology, and biogeography have been applied. The results of these studies reveal that several previously proposed natural supraspecific taxa are not monophyletic and their circumscription should be changed. In most cases the sections and subgenera of the large genera are also not monophyletic. The species concept is one of the most challenging subjects especially in larger genera such as Astragalus. Isoenzyme and micromorphological results provided supports in delimitation of the species and subspecific taxa in this genus. Moreover, tracing the evolution of morphological characters on the gained phylogenetic trees, show that most of formerly used characters show high level of homoplasy. This fact limits the application of such characters at higher level taxonomy. Following taxa are in focus of our studies: Astragalus (several representative sections), Onobrychis and its allies (tribe Hedysareae), Lathyrus and its allies (Fabeae), and Coluteoid clade.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM131: Myrtaceae; Past Processes, Current Systematics And Biodiversity Informatics For The Future
Organiser: Dr Eve Lucas and Dr Fiorella Mazine - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Myrtaceae is the eighth largest Angiosperm family; it has a pan-tropical distribution but its biogeography is associated mainly with the historical break-up of Gondwana. Myrtaceae diversity is highest in some of the world’s most threatened habitats (lowland tropical rainforest, dry forest, savannah and desert scrub). Myrtaceae contains four large genera (of over 500 species), Eugenia, Syzygium, Eucalyptus and Myrcia s.l.; an unusually high number, making it an ideal study group for those interested in the evolution of large genera.  Morphological heterogeneity within the family and these large genera in particular contributes to the perception of the family as taxonomically ‘difficult’. Herbaria often contain many unidentified or poorly identified Myrtaceae specimens, impeding identification of new collections, resulting in specimens collected during ecological surveys being identified as morpho-species, e.g. ‘Myrtaceae indet. sp. 1’. The ecological importance of Myrtaceae and the degree of skill required to identify its species mean environmental surveys of the areas in which it is diverse depend upon active taxonomic revision of the family. Such work must be undertaken as soon as possible as many of these habitats are disappearing at an unprecedented rate.  Long-term neglect has resulted in poor quality Myrtaceae global baseline knowledge that is now some 150 years out of date for most areas (except Australia). However, as a result of greater cohesion and effective communication, international collaborative Myrtaceae research is increasingly galvanised, with collaborative publications and multi-disciplinary projects at an all-time high. Active research projects include investigation of evolutionary relationships of Myrtaceae taxa at all ranks, of past biogeographical processes that have influenced current Myrtaceae distribution and into factors driving speciation in hyper-diverse Myrtaceae genera. All such projects provide data that have generated major modifications to Myrtaceae classifications and our ability to plan future comprehensive taxonomic revisions. Addressing these questions is made possible by the availability of increased nomenclatural, distributional, genetic, morphological and other data available from open access data resources at various institutions. These data have also been used to demonstrate that some Myrtaceae taxa act as indicators of total tree species diversity; such studies have used available information on Myrtaceae biodiversity to prioritise areas of ecological importance for conservation.  This seminar presents examples of the types of projects described above, arranged to reflect information flow. It will demonstrate how an understanding of past processes (e.g. evolution, biogeography and speciation) influences current systematic thinking. In addition, this seminar demonstrates the circularity of the process as data generated feeds biodiversity informatics systems that are the data-bank bed-rocks of future evolutionary and taxonomic research projects and of future conservation initiatives.  The symposium will be organised by myself and Dr Fiorella Mazine.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM133:The Banksian Legacy: A Series Of Talks Exploring The Scientific, Historical And Cultural Significance Of The Collections Made By Banks And Solander On The Endeavour Voyage
Organiser: Mr Steve Cafferty - Natural History Museum, London

The arrival of HMB Endeavour off the New Zealand & Australian coastlines 1769-1770 marks a moment in history, the first real encounter between the indigenous populations and Europeans. This point also sets the stage for cultural interactions over the last 200 years which have formed the countries we know today. The Banks & Solander collections also mark the beginning of floristic scientific research for the two countries, setting a benchmark for a pre - and post - colonial flora. Plants collected by Banks & Solander provide a baseline for the native flora of both countries, and re-examination of these collections can lead to a re-definition of some aspects of the respective floras. Such research in turn, can help inform ongoing conservation and restorative projects, as well as providing context for more esoteric, cultural and historical studies. The proposed symposium will explore current research to date with regard to these important collections, and also what the future might hold in terms of wider accessibility to them.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM134: Botanical Names Services: New Ways To Compare And Link “apples To Apples.
Organiser: Greg Whitbread

Well before Linnaeus arrived on the scene, humans used names for organisms to compare “apples to apples.” In modern times, paper has been the medium for botanical name information storage and retrieval, typically using index cards. More recently, databases have become the digital replacement for index cards with public access through web applications. Today, these databases can have service layers built on them which present an exciting phase shift for connectivity amongst disparate data resources fostering communication and discovery.  Although botanists were quick to realize the potential of the digital era and build tools to manage the vast factual knowledge associated with botanical names and their applications, we still face a considerable task in sorting out a legacy of name use (and abuse). However, there is now ever mounting demand for digital botanical name information for incorporation in tools and resources both within and outside our domain. Botanical names allow discovery and comparison between data resources from taxonomic and ecological to genetic and phylogenetic. Newer semantic web technologies enable richer means for linking amongst taxon names, taxon concepts, and information about those taxa. Further, name data available as controlled vocabularies substantially improves data quality in collection databases and other applications.  The traditional nomenclatural databases, including the International Plant Names Index (IPNI), Index Fungorum, and Algaebase, all have web-accessible information on names available and are heavily referenced. Additionally, some of these databases have services built on them allowing linking between “Malus domestica Borkh. to Malus domestica Borkh.” data resources. This linking requires globally unique identifiers and a resolution service to insure consistency and versioning. Recently, biodiversity informaticians working with the natural science community have focused efforts on a generic layer cake of services with the three key layers including a global list of names, a nomenclatural interpretation of these names, and taxonomic concepts based on these names. With the basal Global Names Index (globalnames.org) accomplished, current focus is on the middle nomenclatural layer, as the next component of an open Global Names Architecture (for more detail see: gnapartnership.org)  which supports the linking of name usages.  The connections made possible through name services lower the barrier to extending the current nomenclators toward implementation of a names registration system. When new names or revisions are entered in the registration database they become immediately linked and discoverable to compare with other concepts. This registration system coupled with electronic publishing have the potential to fundamentally shift the way taxonomists work and are currently being implemented in the zoological and mycological domains. To complement this shift, several workbench tools are under development to speed the taxonomic process of discovery, revision and publication. These tools rely on names to discover and accumulate knowledge from various botanical resources including connection to names in marked-up literature accomplished using new parsing tools. This symposium will update participants on the botanical name resources, infrastructure, and tools in various stages of development leading us into a brave new world of interconnected data.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM136: Informatics Tools For The Semantic Enhancement Of Taxonomic Literature
Organiser: Mr Christopher Freeland - Missouri Botanical Garden

In recent years there has been a radical change regarding the availability of digital taxonomic literature, including both contemporary publications as well as legacy texts.  Projects like the Biodiversity Heritage Library and Plazi, among others, have digitized and made available a wealth of scientific texts that support the online review of protologues and species descriptions, as well as other traditional uses of taxonomic literature. While this advent has been exceptionally useful for systematists and has undoubtedly expedited the taxonomic process, making this literature available in digital form opens the possibility for new secondary analyses that are impossible to accomplish with traditional printed texts.  Scholars working in natural language processing, semantic markup, and other efforts within biodiversity informatics are developing new tools for the use of these digitized materials beyond the traditional human-paper interaction.  These new human-machine and machine-machine interactions are facilitated by emerging software tools that enhance the traditional scientific publication, turning these texts into rich, interactive datasets that can be incorporated into other analyses.  This seminar will explore the motivation behind the digitization of historic taxonomic literature as well as the contemporary publication of new treatments and texts, and how those texts can be enhanced by these new informatics tools. Panelists will review the progress made through both legacy digitization as well as contemporary publication, and special focus will be given to scholars who are currently building the informatics tools that help provide fine-grained, semantic description of traditional taxonomic texts.  Using these novel algorithms and applications, presenters will detail how taxonomic publications can be enhanced through semantic description and how these enriched texts can expedite the taxonomic process and facilitate the open sharing of organismal data to a global audience of scholars and students.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM137: Creating Next Generation Floras
Organiser: Dr Aaron Wilton - Landcare Research

Floras are an authoritative summation of taxonomic knowledge for a given region at a given time. They are a critical part of, and product of, the taxonomic process, and provide an important portal for users outside the taxonomic community to access taxonomic information.  In a typical scenario, ongoing taxonomic work produces revisionary papers and curated Herbarium Census and specimen databases. At a given time, data from all these sources are crystallized into a Flora, usually published in hardcopy. Revisionary and Herbarium curatorial work continues, resulting in a growing mismatch between the true state of knowledge and that represented in the Flora (the out-of-date problem). At infrequent intervals, new Floras or new editions of existing Floras are produced, and the process continues.  Because of the considerable time and resources required to compile and produce a Flora, being out of date is the norm rather than the exception, and this usually begins as soon as the Flora is printed. Problems include the cost of creating Floras, costs of maintaining Flora content, costs of tailoring information to the requirements of different end-users, limitations resulting from traditional Floras only being available as printed documents, and inadequate links between tertiary (e.g. descriptive, distributional) and primary (e.g. specimen) data. The mismatch between actual knowledge and the Flora is a significant problem to end-users, who increasingly require rapid and timely access to up-to-date information in a format that meets their requirements.  To resolve these problems, various “next generation Flora” projects are planned or underway. These range from digitisation of existing Floras to development of novel information systems that replace or extend traditional Floras. Such systems include tools to allow researchers to record, query and report on descriptive data linked to individual specimens, processes to tightly link working Herbarium databases into digital end-products, and methods that integrate a variety of data sources into products in a format and media specified by the user.  Related to this are projects that seek to create digital workspaces and tools that can speed up and simplify the production of taxonomic revisions. This is important given the declining taxonomic workforce but the increasing relevance of taxonomic knowledge in decision-making, conservation planning and community engagement. Ideally, these new revisionary workspaces should be integrated with the new Floras so that content created for a taxonomic revision flows seamlessly into content deployed in a Flora, thus reducing inefficiencies and work-creating practices inherent in the traditional model. This symposium will present a range of approaches that lead to modern, digital Floras and integrate the full range of taxonomic data into systems that deliver Floras in real time, at reduced cost, and in more engaging formats.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM139: Geometric Morphometric In Plant Systematics
Organiser: Dr Nicodemo Giuseppe Passalacqua - University of Calabria

Geometric morphometric was proclaimed as the 'morphometric revolution' in 1993, because it substantially improved statistical methods available for morphological analyses in systematic zoology. This is not the case for plant systematic, mainly because of problems in applying such methodologies to plant samples, such as the recognition of homologous points and the often extreme phenotypic variability in plants. Recently, a growing body of research is demonstrating that using digital image-based morphometric will meet increasing application even in plant systematics, taxonomy and evolution. The symposium will consider different approaches, and achievements in geometric morphometric applied to different research fields of systematic botany.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM140: Rebuilding Botanical Capacity
Organiser: Dr Marshall Sundberg - Emporia State University

Loss of biodiversity, long seen as a problem by botanists, is now becoming recognized by the public as a world-wide and growing problem, particularly in light of climate change.  Yet, even as the need to catalog, study, and protect plant species in their environment has never been greater, the supply of adequately trained botanists is diminishing.  After decades of decline in botany departments at colleges and universities, many basic botany courses, especially plant taxonomy, are not being offered and not enough new scientists, trained in basic field skills and able to apply modern methods, are being trained.  This symposium defines the problem and provides examples of successful programs devised by government agencies, non-profit organizations, professional societies, and individual educators, to promote formal and informal botanical education from the elementary through post-graduate levels.  The impacts range from individuals in classrooms to global partnerships.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM142: Charles Darwin And Orchid Pollination (1862-2011)
Organiser: Prof Peter Bernhardt - Saint Louis University

The year, 2012, will mark the 150th anniversary of the first edition of Charles Darwin's book 'On The Various Contrivances By Which Orchids are Fertilized by Insects.'  This book and its second edition (1877) continues to have an enormous impact on the studies of pollination biology, breeding systems, plant-insect interactions and plant conservation.  We propose a new look at an old influential book by taking topics out of the first and second edition and reviewing how each topic has advanced from 1862 or 1877 until the present day. This includes analyses of pollination systems in some of Darwin's 'problem orchids' (e.g. Cypripedium Orchis, Ophrys, Thelymitra) and later topics that were stimulated by reading these books although Darwin didn't study them directly (e.g. evolution of reward and mimic flowers in the same genus)

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM144: Past, Present, And Future Of Island Plants:
evolutionary, Niche Modeling And Conservation Perspectives
Organiser: Prof Elena Conti - University Of Zurich

Ever since Darwin’s seminal studies on the Galapagos archipelago, islands have been viewed as ideal laboratories to study key evolutionary processes, including the origin of their endemic species, the relationships among species in nearby islands and the mainland, the relative roles of abiotic and biotic interactions in shaping community composition, and the vulnerability of islands to invasions. Over the past few decades, the advent of new methodologies, including genetic analyses at the infra- and inter-specific levels, the ability to link genetic relatedness with temporal and spatial frameworks at different scales, and the development of sophisticated models connecting climatological data with species occurrences, now offer unprecedented opportunities to understand the evolutionary and ecological drivers that have shaped the current composition of island biota. Together with these remarkable methodological advancements, the increase of human travels and global temperatures over the past 200 years has severely affected island biotas, which are especially prone to invasion and degradation. The goal of this symposium is to bring together researchers with different kinds of expertise and perspectives on plant evolution and ecology to foster an innovative, synergistic vision on the origin, evolution, and future prospects of island plants, potentially generating new ideas on island biogeography and collaborative projects. Given this goal, the symposium speakers will cover a broad range of topics, from recent theoretical/methodological developments in niche modeling, their application within a phylogenetic framework, phylogenetic/biogeographic case studies on the origin of island endemics, and conservation of island plants. These highly complementary topics are rarely addressed in the same arena, thus limiting the opportunities for fruitful knowledge transfer between different disciplines.

T06: Systematics, Evolution, Biogeography & Biodiversity Info
SYM155: Liverwort Phylogeny And Evolution: A Window Into Early Land Plant Diversification
Organiser: Dr Jonathan Shaw - Duke University

Recent phylogenetic analyses of embryophytes suggest that liverworts may be the earliest diverging lineage of land plants.  As such, liverworts (phylum Marchantiophyta) provide a window into early land plant evolution. This symposium focuses on liverwort  phylogeny, morphology, genomics, ecology, and biogeography.  The first presentation provides an overview of phylogenetic relationships among liverwort genera and species based on nucleotide sequences from eight genes representing over 1000 accessions.  Subsequent presentations summarize evolution of the mitochondrial and plastid genomes in liverworts relative to other plants,  morphological evolution in the gametophyte and sporophyte generations, interactions with fungi, and insights into global biogeographic patterns and species-level systematic relationships gleaned from phylogenetic studies.  This symposium pulls together results from laboratories around the world working on liverwort systematics and evolution and reflects successful international collaborations that have been established.

T07: Plants In Society
Sym003: Interpretation of the Relationships Between, Plants, Mythology & Art
Organiser: Dr Ana Planchuelo - CREAN, Universidad Nacional De Córdoba

All cultures have some myth or tales related with nature and humans, but Greek mythology and its Roman version are the richess in metamorphosis of characters into plants. The relations between Botany and Greek and Roman mythology are numerous and can be classified into the following categories: 1) Mentions of plants in mythological tales such as oaks and apples. 2) Genera, species or other taxonomic range given by botanists in honor to mythological characters such Achillea for Achilles, Eragrostis for Eros, Asclepias for Asclepius. 3) Botanical terms in the glossary related to mythology such hermaphroditic from the Hermaphroditus tales. 4) Mythological gods or goddesses associated with nature, trees, gardens and orchards as the grain goddess of agriculture Ceres or Pomona, the goddess of orchards. 5) Metamorphosis of mythological characters in plants such as Daphne in laurel (Laurus nobilis) and Kyparissos in Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens). The Renaissance and Neoclassical art periods have many pictorial testimonies and sculptures of Greek and Roman mythological characters related to plants. Art recreation of original tales sometimes were adjusted to modern life and consequently confusions and misleading of the plants involved in the original Greek or Latin documents are common. Such is the case of the golden apples of the Hesperides that were painted as oranges. The metamorphosis of Hyakinthos it is not the plant now named hyacinth as it is actually represented in such tale, the ancient Greek hyakinthos is Delphinium ajacis.