Staff
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Chen, Chih-Hsiung
Associate Curator
Biology Department
Vascular Plants Division
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E-mail
alanchen@mail.nmns.edu.tw
| Academic Background2001 Ph.D. Department of Biology, National Taiwan Normal University
1996 Master, Department of Biology, National Taiwan Normal University
1991 Bachelor, Department of Biology, Fu Jen Catholic University |
Academic AchievementsSystematic classification of vascular plants, pollination biology |
Main Duties1. Collection of specimens of vascular plants, including arrangement, identification, and exchange
2. Molecular systematics study
3. Collection and research in seeds of vascular plants
4. Participation in the National Digital Archives Program of Botany in Taiwan.
I joined the Department of Botany of National Museum of Natural Science as an Assistant Research Fellow on June 2002. Vascular plants are aims of my collections and researches, and I am interested in alpine plants particularly.
Plants systematics and evolution categories are my major research topics. My current research is regarding to Gentianceae, as the subjects of their systematics and evolutionary. There are 26 taxon (23species and 3varieties) of Gentianaceae in Taiwan. Twenty of them are endemic to Taiwan and majority found in high mountain regions which higher than 2800 m in altitudes. The distributions of these taxa have distinctly isolation trend, and should be the suitable materials for systematics and biogeographic researches.
Morphological characters provide important foundation for my taxonomic studies. Not only information from the examination of morphology, but field observation also provided messages of ecological data and population variation. Furthermore, electron microscope was used for the comparison of micro-characters, and cytological survey on chromosome morphology and behavior suggest appropriate treatments. Recently, due to the rapid development of molecular tools, DNA sequences would be applied to the reconstruction of molecular phylogeny and investigation of phytogeography.
Additionally, plant genetic resource also was hold in the botanical garden in this museum. The collection and management of plant seeds and tissues are involved. |
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