Prof. Dr. Mária Höhn - MATE Research
Overview
Mária Höhn’s main research area includes diversity studies of plant populations focusing on historical-phylogeographical and evolutionary aspects. Her studies aim at revealing the history of species, how different plant species face major environmental changes, how are they able to withstand environmental extremes, and what the main drivers of their adaptation are when colonize new habitats. Through molecular-based studies population genetic diversity and adaptation strategies are analysed. Forest tree species with long life span and herbaceous perennials having a shorter life cycle as well as domesticated plants have different molecular and morphological background; accordingly, they exhibit different adaptive and survival strategies. Most of the studies conducted in the frame of international research groups focused on revealing plant traits aim to increase the overall knowledge about living populations and help mitigating the strong impact of the global change.
Research keywords:
Publications
Phylogeography and population diversity of conifer species
In cooperation with Italian and Swiss researchers history and molecular diversity of two conifer species were studied. In the time of the glacials Swiss stone pine and Scots pine coexisted in most parts of Europe but at the end of the glaciation followed two ways to survive climate warming. Distribution pattern, phylogeography, colonization routes were revealed through niche modelling and molecular marker analysis.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14586
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-017-1137-9
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02122.x
Full genome sequence analysis in conifers
Silver Fir Genome Project (SFGP) elaborated the first genome assembly of silver fir and provide an important genomic resource that is publicly available to support genome-wide association studies.
https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.119.400083
https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16107
Grapevine evolution and domestication history
Initiated by a Chinese research group genetic data from about 3500 cultivated and wild grape varieties have been studied by long read sequence analysis. The results of the analysis revealed the effects of climate on historical population sizes and suggested concurrent domestications of wine and table grapes, and also identified variants associated with domestication traits.
Projects
Project no. 1.: Development, testing and usability of adaptive markers in forest tree species
In recent years, special attention has been focused on those habitats that exhibit extreme environmental conditions and usually have been preserved from earlier geological times. In these so-called cryptic habitats live small remnant populations that survived unfavorable periods during their history. Scots pine is one of the long living forest tree species that sustained in small crytic habitats, tolerating extreme ecological conditions. The aim of the project is developing and testing SNP and microsatellite DNA markers involved in pH sensitivity and drought tolerance in several Scots pine populations and demonstrate the usability of the markers in detecting ecological adaptation.
Project no. 2.: FWFEinzelprojekte, P21951: Biogeographie, Diversität und Fitness von Steppenpflanzen. „The steppe” - Postglacial successive vicariance, genetic diversity transect, and performance of steppe plants in Central Europe. 2009-2012 (2013)
The project focused on the study of genetic diversity and plant performance along a transect from more central to marginal geographic sites by comparing several plant species likely sharing a common history as steppe plants. Four species were selected at their (north)westernmost distribution limit in Europe (i.e. Carex supina, Inula germanica, Oxytropis pilosa, and Poa badensis) and three geographical regions representing a central-marginal transect from Hungary in the southeast to Austria (intermediate), and further to the (north)westernmost periphery in western Germany.
https://forschung.boku.ac.at/en/projects/7996
Project no. 3.: COST Action CA15226 2016-2020 Climate-Smart Forestry in Mountain Regions. CLIMO
The main objective was to define Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) in the European context, which will require the identification of key silvicultural characteristics and the harmonisation of CSF in mountain areas to create a common knowledge at European level. The ““smartness”” is defined on the basis of measurable criteria and a checklist of parameters of “smartness” for mountain forests have been proposed. Experimental forest sites with available data to quantify the “smartness” of mountain forests were identified to build a European Smart Forest Network (ESFONET).
https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA15226/
Project no. 4.: NKFIH, OTKA 92227 Spatial genetic structure and potential adaptive traits of native Pinus sylvestris L. populations from extreme habitat sites in East-Central Europe: vegetation and landscape historical consequences along climatic constraints. 2012-2017
Genetic variation of native and protected Scots pine populations of the Carpathians and Carpathian basin was evaluated in comparison to trees of different seed proveniences and populations of other geographic regions. Main genetic imprints, ancient lineages, evolutionary history of the populations were described.
