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Arctic-alpine plants live at the edge of what plant life can tolerate, facing low temperatures, short growing seasons, and frequent frost events even during summer. In addition, strong latitudinal variation in light regimes - including midnight sun in the far north - creates unique selective pressures on growth, development, and seasonal timing. Despite these extreme conditions, we still know surprisingly little about the physiological strategies that allow these plants to persist and thrive.
In this project, we will investigate key functional adaptations that enable Arctic-alpine plants to survive and perform under these environmental constraints. The work will focus on understanding how physiological traits vary across species and environments, and what this reveals about adaptation to extreme climates.
Key questions could include:
- How do Arctic-alpine plants differ in freezing tolerance and cold acclimation capacity?
- What are the optimal temperature ranges for photosynthesis across species from high-latitude environments?
- How do plants respond physiologically to extreme photoperiods, including continuous summer light?
- To what extent are these traits plastic across environmental gradients and populations?
The project is primarily experimental and will involve growing Arctic-alpine plants under controlled environmental conditions and exposing them to different temperature and light treatments. There may also be opportunities for field sampling in Arctic-alpine regions.
The project is embedded in a research group working on Arctic-alpine plant evolutionary genomics at the Natural History Museum (NHM), located in the Botanical Garden in Oslo. You will become part of a collaborative and welcoming research environment focusing on adaptation and molecular ecology.
You will be supervised by Siri Birkeland (NHM), César Herrero González (NHM), and an external supervisor.
For more information, please contact Siri Birkeland siri.birkeland@nhm.uio.no