Native plant species commonly exhibit genetic variation both within and between provenances. A sound understanding of the extent and causes of this genetic variation is fundamental to evolutionary biology, conservation management and ecological restoration.
My project investigates the role of hybridisation among co-occurring species as a factor shaping genetic diversity in Eucalyptus. Naturally occurring sites of hybridisation are being characterised using nuclear and chloroplast DNA markers to measure the extent, nature and adaptive significance of gene “leakage” between species.