BotanyCarly Anderson Stewart

Carly Anderson Stewart is a PhD candidate studying fungal evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is currently studying the biodiversity and biogeography of lichens, speci cally the large, cosmopolitan lichen genus Cladonia (Cladoniaceae, lichenized Ascomycota). Her work explores triggers of diversi cation in the Cladonia tree of life asking which characteristics are associated with increases or decreases in diversi cation. Better understanding shifts in diversi cation rates would constitute an important step forward in fungal evolutionary biology. Stewart is also interested in large-scale lichen biogeography. Currently, she is working on using phylogenetic trees in combination with geographical data (spatial phylogenetics) to and areas of high diversity or high endemism. Pinpointing areas of high fungal diversity is important to precise protection of species and better informing conservation authorities.