- Department
- Email Address
- [email protected]
- Research Areas
- Research Keywords
- Research Description
We study the evolution of plant function and how they affect the ecological functioning of populations, communities and ecosystems. More specificaly, we seek to undertand how and why plant functional traits evolve, and how these traits influence the outcome of ecological interactions in ecological communities.
- Research Summary
We study the evolution of plant function and its mechanistic links to the ecological functioning of populations, communities and ecosystems. We study how and why plant functional traits evolve, and how these traits influence the outcome of ecological interactions that are known to shape community assembly, such as competition and mutualism. To do this work, we use several approaches, including comparative analyses among populations and species, observations of natural selection in the wild, and experimental studies that manipulate the identity of selective agents experienced by populations. We explore how traits influence community assembly and ecosystem function by carrying out experimental studies in controlled environments and in the field.
- Techniques Used
Comparative analyses, observations, and experimental studies in both lab and the field.
- Locations of international collaborators
Florida International University, Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, North Dakota State University, DePaul University, University of Montana, Holden Arboretum (USA); University of Tartu (Estonia); University of York (UK); Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Netherlands); Ulm University (Germany).
- Links