A new project.... more to come!
lagopus lanceolata subulata coronopus major
| Research Interests |
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As an evolutionary plant ecologist, I am interested in integrating studies of ecology, population biology, genetics, functional morphology, phylogenetics, physiology, and chemistry to examine aspects of the evolution of floral design, phenotypic plasticity, and reproductive thermoregulation in plants. Thermoregulation is a phenomenon that has not been typically associated with plants. Our research is showing, however, that some species in the genus Plantago can partially regulate the internal temperature of flowers and developing fruits by modifying floral reflectance in response to ambient temperature. Our studies of this phenomenon include testing experimentally the adaptive significance of the plasticity in floral reflectance, identifying the chemical basis for the plasticity, and more generally clarifying the ecological mechanisms of adaptation in response to climate change. Studies include manipulative field experiments and comparisons of P. lanceolata populations across a wide geographical range. We are also developing genetic markers to explore the genetic basis for the plasticity in floral reflectance. |
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In a second smaller project, we are studying Lobelia boykinii, a rare plant species that grows only in Carolina bays in the southeastern US. Our studies include clarifying aspects of the species' life-history, trying to understand the population dynamics of the species, and assessing within and among-population genetic variation using microsatellite markers. |
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A new project.... more to come! |
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