Personal Statement
The interdisciplinary field of conservation biology aims to provide the knowledge and tools necessary for the long-term preservation of biodiversity. Studies of population genetics (or the organization of genetic variation within and among individuals and populations) are one important source of information for conservation biology. My research focuses on the study of population genetic variation in rare plants. Knowledge of this genetic variation can provide insight into the survival, reproduction, and taxonomy of rare plants, and can be combined with other sources of data to form more effective conservation strategies. In addition, genetic studies of rare plants can be placed into a broader evolutionary context, and we can learn more about how rare species compare to widespread congeners (taxonomy and phylogenetic diversity), how species are formed (hybridization, polyploidy, isolation and gene flow), and how historical events (e.g. climate change), geographic barriers and corridors, and geology shape the distribution of biodiversity across the landscape. Within this context, I am currently working with colleagues on genetic studies of Encelia farinosa (brittlebush), Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva (Huachuca water umbel), Lycium californicum (California desert-thorn), several species of Phlox from the southwest, and several species of Cirsium (thistle) from the Grand Canyon.
Selected publications
Fehlberg, S.D. and C.J. Ferguson. Intraspecific cytotype variation and conservation: an
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example from Phlox (Polemoniaceae). In S.E. Meyers, tech ed. Southwestern rare and endangered plants: Proceedings of the fifth conference; March 16-20, 2009; Salt Lake City, Utah. Proceedings RMRS-P-XX (accepted). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, Colorado. |
| Fehlberg, S.D. and T.A. Ranker. 2009. Evolutionary history and phylogeography of Encelia |
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farinosa (Asteraceae) from the Sonoran, Mojave, and Peninsular Deserts. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 50: 326-335. |
Lehnert, M., M. Kessler, A.N. Schmidt-Lebuhn, S.A. Klimas, S.D. Fehlberg, and T.A. Ranker.
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2009. Phylogeny of the fern genus Melpomene (Polypodiaceae) inferred from morphology and chloroplast DNA analysis. Systematic Botany 34: 1-11. |
| Bruederle, L.P., S.L. Yarbrough, and S.D. Fehlberg. 2009. Allozyme variation in the genus |
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Carex… 15 years later: 1986-2001. Pp.187-196 in R.F.C. Naczi and B.A. Ford, eds. Sedges: Uses, Diversity, and Systematics of the Cyperaceae. Missouri Botanic Garden Press, St. Louis, Missouri. |
Ferguson, C.J., S.D. Fehlberg, K.A. Ford, and S.C. Strakosh. 2008. Phylogenetic relationships of
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the genus Phlox (Polemoniaceae): comparing and combining data sets from the chloroplast genome. Pp. 153-172 in A.K. Sharma and A. Sharma, eds. Plant Genome: Biodiversity and Evolution. Volume 1, Part E. Science Publishers, Enfield, New Hampshire.
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Fehlberg, S.D., K.A. Ford, M.C. Ungerer, and C.J. Ferguson. 2008. Development,
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characterization and transferability of microsatellite markers for the plant genus Phlox (Polemoniaceae). Molecular Ecology Resources 8: 116–118. |
Fehlberg, S.D. and T.A. Ranker. 2007. Phylogeny and biogeography of Encelia (Asteraceae) in
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the Sonoran and Peninsular Deserts based on multiple DNA sequences. Systematic Botany 32: 692-699. |
| Fehlberg, S.D. and L.P. Bruederle. 2000. Allozyme data support a Eurasian origin for Carex |
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viridula ssp. viridula var. viridula Michx. (Cyperaceae). Madroño 47: 147-158.
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