I am a PhD Student at the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as part of the TALENT Doctoral Fellowship Programme co-funded by the European Union. My PhD project focuses on the evolution of leaf traits across the leaf-succulent genus Crassula in southern Africa. This genus is present in all biomes of southern Africa, ranging from relatively humid to extremely arid habitats. By employing cutting-edge imaging and biochemical methods, I aim to reveal the adaptive value that several leaf traits confer across a range of aridity zones. The leaf traits I am focusing on comprise (1) morpho-anatomical traits, (2) water-storage capacity, (3) CAM performance and (4) cell wall polysaccharide composition. Knowledge on traits of succulent plants will become increasingly valuable as temperature and aridity increase in a climate-change scenario, both for conservation efforts and for potential applications in crop sciences.

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