1. Muthama Muasya University of Cape Town Application of DNA barcoding in plant taxonomy, Eastern Africa Experience

2. Role in biodiversity studies Identification Naming Classification Relevance to CBD Article 7: Identification & monitoring of biodiversity (Ecosystem & habitats, species & communities, genes) Facilities Herbaria with representative material Plant taxonomy in Eastern Africa

3. Global plant diversity Kier et al. 2005; J. Biogeography C. 12,000 species in Eastern Africa Loss of biodiversity great

4. Rarity of Eastern Africa Flora Kueper et al 2004. Hotspots of plant endemism Gaps exists in current plant knowledge

5. Status of taxonomy in Eastern Africa Regional Floras & local checklists Phenetics (overall similarity) Phylogenetics (shared common ancestry; DNA data)

6. Value of barcode data Plant identification Phylogenetic position for ‘new’ plant material Use of barcode data in classification and evolutionary studies

7. Isolepis endemics on East African mountains I. kilimanjarica I. meruensis I. keniensis

8. Example: Isolepis studies Mt. Kenya Mt. Meru Australia SA Tropical temperate

9. Barcoding: Challenges for E. Africa Taxonomic teaching/practice not using DNA Lack of molecular facilities, capacity Expense Do we really need the initiative now?

10. Barcoding: Opportunities for E. Africa Large flora, endemics, unique lineages Alpha taxonomy, herbarium collections Active taxonomic groups/teaching Ongoing projects offer entry point (e.g. Seeds for life, RPSUD, eastern arc & coastal forests, afro- temperate flora, Albertine Rift) One BIOTA project proposing barcoding trees of Kakamega & Budongo forests next year International funding goodwill now

11. Cyperus_involucratus TCTTTCTAATTTCCTGTGGATTTTTACAT-CCACCATTTTCTTTCTATAGTAATGAAAATGCTCTTGGCTCGACATAATTTGTTCTGTTCAAAAACCC----AATTTCTAATTTCTATT-----AGGTTGTCCGTAAACAGTACACGATGGAGCTCG----------AAGTTTGATTTTTTTA---------TCAAACAAGGGAAAGAATCTAGGGTTAGTGATAATTCAATT----AATTCTAATTAATTTAGACCAATTTTGTAAGTATA-TCTTAGTATCAGAATCAGAAA---AAAA-TACAATTCGAACAAG--------AAAAAAA--A--------TAGAAAGTGAAATTGTTGG-----AAACTGGTAAAA---CTATTCTGATTTTAAGGTGGAACGGGAATGAATCCTTCGTATTTATTTTATA------TTATAAAGAAGGAAATCAAAAAGAAGGG-GTGTTGCTTTCCCTTTGAAAGGAATAAAGGTCTTCAAAATAAATTTATAAACCTAAAGATTCCAAAAAGAAAAAAGAAAGGATTCCG-AACAAGAAAATACTTTTTT-AA-TTATCTCAAC-----AGTGTAATTGGATCAAATTGACAAATCTAAAAAGGGT----AGAGATATGACACACACAAAAGAGTTTAGAGACAGCTCAAGAAATTCTTTCA-----TAAGGATTTATG---------AACTTT-----CTAAAAATTTTTTATTTAACTTGAGTCATGAGTAAAAAAAA---TATTATGATATTTTTTTATA---------TAACGAAAAGGAAAAAGGA-CTCTATTTGAATCATAGTATAATTCATGATTTTCTGAGTCCATTTTGCA-----TTCTATACAGAAATTTGAATTATTTTTCTTGAGCCGTATGAGGTGAAAATTTCATTTACGTTTCTAGGGGGA-CTTTTTTT-ATC-ATAYAATGTGCCCATCTAAA----------- [855]Cyperus_involucratus TCTTTCTAATTTCCTGTGGATTTTTACAT-CCACCATTTTCTTTCTATAGTAATGAAAATGCTCTTGGCTCGACATAATTTGTTCTGTTCAAAAACCC----AATTTCTAATTTCTATT-----AGGTTGTCCGTAAACAGTACACGATGGAGCTCG----------AAGTTTGATTTTTTTA---------TCAAACAAGGGAAAGAATCTAGGGTTAGTGATAATTCAATT----AATTCTAATTAATTTAGACCAATTTTGTAAGTATA-TCTTAGTATCAGAATCAGAAA---AAAA-TACAATTCGAACAAG--------AAAAAAA--A--------TAGAAAGTGAAATTGTTGG-----AAACTGGTAAAA---CTATTCTGATTTTAAGGTGGAACGGGAATGAATCCTTCGTATTTATTTTATA------TTATAAAGAAGGAAATCAAAAAGAAGGG-GTGTTGCTTTCCCTTTGAAAGGAATAAAGGTCTTCAAAATAAATTTATAAACCTAAAGATTCCAAAAAGAAAAAAGAAAGGATTCCG-AACAAGAAAATACTTTTTT-AA-TTATCTCAAC-----AGTGTAATTGGATCAAATTGACAAATCTAAAAAGGGT----AGAGATATGACACACACAAAAGAGTTTAGAGACAGCTCAAGAAATTCTTTCA-----TAAGGATTTATG---------AACTTT-----CTAAAAATTTTTTATTTAACTTGAGTCATGAGTAAAAAAAA---TATTATGATATTTTTTTATA---------TAACGAAAAGGAAAAAGGA-CTCTATTTGAATCATAGTATAATTCATGATTTTCTGAGTCCATTTTGCA-----TTCTATACAGAAATTTGAATTATTTTTCTTGAGCCGTATGAGGTGAAAATTTCATTTACGTTTCTAGGGGGA-CTTTTTTT-ATC-ATAYAATGTGCCCATCTAAA----------- [855] Cyperus_laevigatus CCCGTCTAATTTTCTGTGGATTTTTACAT-CCACCATTTTCTTTCTATAGTAATGAAAATGCTCTTGGCTCGACATAATTTGTTCTGTTCAAAAAGCC----AATTTCTAATTTCTATT-----AGGTTGTCCGTAAACAGTACATGATGGAGCTCG----------AAGTTTGATTTTTTTA---------TCAAACAAGGGAAAGAATCTAGGGTTAGTGATAATTCAATT----AATTCTAATTAATTTAGACCAATTTTGTAAGTATA-TCTTAGTATCAGAATCAGAAA---AAAA-TACAATTTGAACAAG--------AAAAAAA-AA--------TATAAAGTGAAATTCTTGG-----AAACTGGTAAAA---CTATTCTGATTTTAAGGTGGAACGGGAATGAATCCTTCGTATTTATTTTATA-----------AAGAAGGAAATCAAAAAGAAGGG-GTGTTGCTTTCCCTTTGAAAGGAATAAAGGTCTTCAAAATAA-TTTCTAAACCTAAAGATTCCAAAAAGAAAAAAGAAAGGATTCCGGAACAAGAAAATACTTTTTT-AAATTATCTCAAC-----AGTGTAATTCGATCAAATTGACAAATCTAAAAAGGTT----AGAGATAAAACAAACA-AAAAGAGTTTAGAGACAGCTCAAGAAATTCTTTCA-----TAAGGATTTATG---------AACTTT-----CTAAAAATTTTTTATTTAACTTGAGTCATGAGTAAAAAAAA---TATTATGAATTTTGTATATA---------TAACGTAAAGGAAAAGGGA-CTCTATTTGAATCATAGTATAATTCATGAATTTATGAG?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????-???????????????????????------------ [857]Cyperus_laevigatus CCCGTCTAATTTTCTGTGGATTTTTACAT-CCACCATTTTCTTTCTATAGTAATGAAAATGCTCTTGGCTCGACATAATTTGTTCTGTTCAAAAAGCC----AATTTCTAATTTCTATT-----AGGTTGTCCGTAAACAGTACATGATGGAGCTCG----------AAGTTTGATTTTTTTA---------TCAAACAAGGGAAAGAATCTAGGGTTAGTGATAATTCAATT----AATTCTAATTAATTTAGACCAATTTTGTAAGTATA-TCTTAGTATCAGAATCAGAAA---AAAA-TACAATTTGAACAAG--------AAAAAAA-AA--------TATAAAGTGAAATTCTTGG-----AAACTGGTAAAA---CTATTCTGATTTTAAGGTGGAACGGGAATGAATCCTTCGTATTTATTTTATA-----------AAGAAGGAAATCAAAAAGAAGGG-GTGTTGCTTTCCCTTTGAAAGGAATAAAGGTCTTCAAAATAA-TTTCTAAACCTAAAGATTCCAAAAAGAAAAAAGAAAGGATTCCGGAACAAGAAAATACTTTTTT-AAATTATCTCAAC-----AGTGTAATTCGATCAAATTGACAAATCTAAAAAGGTT----AGAGATAAAACAAACA-AAAAGAGTTTAGAGACAGCTCAAGAAATTCTTTCA-----TAAGGATTTATG---------AACTTT-----CTAAAAATTTTTTATTTAACTTGAGTCATGAGTAAAAAAAA---TATTATGAATTTTGTATATA---------TAACGTAAAGGAAAAGGGA-CTCTATTTGAATCATAGTATAATTCATGAATTTATGAG?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????-???????????????????????------------ [857] Barcoding of plant diversity in the hotspot e.g. afro-alpine zones Collaboration- local & international Way forward Barcoding of plant diversity in hotspots e.g. afro-alpine zones; taxon specific (grasses) Collaboration- local & international Way forward

12. Actual implementation Sample collection (herbarium/museums tissue, supplementary fieldwork) Set up labs (PCR machines, etc) Laboratory data generation Incorporation of data into databank Using the databank to serve taxonomic & broader community

13. Outputs DNA barcode data Voucher specimens & curation DNA lab capacity Student training, publications

14. Asante sana Organisers Colleagues (S. Masinde, G. Mwachala, P. Muthoka, R Cowan; M van der Bank)