BRIT research staff strives to incorporate the "three Ds" into each of our projects: discovery, documentation, and dissemination. Our researchers generally focus their projects around the themes of Biodiversity, Evolution, and Conservation, incorporating and contributing to our world class Collections. Participating in a variety of projects at the state, national, and international level, our researchers are always on the go...and always learning.
BRIT and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden are pleased to offer this series of classes and workshops that focus on giving participants hands-on, experience-based education in the fields of plant and wildlife science, conservation, sustainability, and ecology. These unique classes and workshops (most featuring field investigations or lab work) enhance participants' prior education, offering the opportunity to assemble a new set of skills. Participants enjoy interaction with professionals in their field of interest.
The Taxonomy and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes Program at BRIT is led by Research Botanist Dr. Alejandra Vasco.
The Program focuses broadly on taxonomy, systematics, and evolution of these two plant lineages. We ask questions about species diversity, evolutionary relationships among taxa, trait evolution using comparative methods, and the role that genes play in plant morphological diversity. Our work, whether on ferns or lycophytes, integrates techniques from several disciplines, including traditional specimen-based research in herbaria, fieldwork, anatomy, phylogenetic systematics, and evolutionary genomics. We are a diverse team with many ongoing projects.
Plant diversity is being lost at an alarming rate. It is this same diversity that supports human livelihoods and many of our most precious natural resources. One of BRIT’s major goals is to raise awareness of the value plants bring to life, and the threats they face worldwide. BRIT is committed to working toward conserving plant diversity at home in Texas, and around the world.
The Texas Plant Conservation Program is led by Conservation Research Botanist Kim Norton Taylor.
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