Roosevelt University courses taught:
Organismic Biology (Biology 201)
Ecology, Evolution and Genetics (Biology 202)
Ecology (Biology 315)
Botany (Biology 322)
Marine Biology (Biology 324/424)
Tropical Biology (travel course in Belize) (Biology 323/423)
Genetics Laboratory (Biology 351/451)
Biology of a Changing Planet (Biology 383/484)
Research in Biology (Biology 392/492)
Research Methods (Co-instructor; Biology 468)
Research topics
Range expansion of mangroves in Florida
Mangroves have increased in abundance in northern Florida in the past few decades. Together with researchers from the Smithsonian, UCLA, and other institutions, I have been researching how quickly mangroves increase in abundance, the effects of nutrient enrichment on the invasion of saltmarshes by mangroves, and other effects of mangrove encroachment. See below for more.
How are rare plants responding to climate change?
Climate change is causing many species ranges to expand or contract. Starflower (Lysimachia borealis, formerly Trientalis borealis) is a boreal plant species that reaches its southern range edge (in the Midwest) in the Chicago area. Plant populations at the southern edge are smaller than further north in the range. My current project is investigating how at-risk these southern populations are to extinction due to climate change, demographic and genetic stochasticity. I am examining phenology of flowering and population growth of starflower in the Midwest. My students and I are using microsatellite markers to quantify genetic diversity in populations spanning a latitudinal gradient in the Midwest and plan to determine the center of genetic diversity for this species. We also are projecting rates of population growth or decline for southern range edge populations. If these populations are extirpated, will the species lose significant genetic diversity? Which conservation measures are most likely to be effective?
How does precocious reproduction contribute to a range expansion?
My postdoctoral research investigated traits related to reproduction and dispersal at the expanding range edge of mangroves in northern Florida. At the leading range edge, mangroves have developed precocious reproduction, with seedlings reproducing in the first year after establishment. Growing under a canopy or in a mature population, mangroves often take 10 to 15 years to reproduce, so this is a big life history shift over the species range. The mechanisms driving shorter time to reproduction in invasive mangroves are unknown. I used field experiments to understand the causes of precocious reproduction in mangroves.
What allows rare plants to persist?
Previous projects include work on the rare plants Pelliciera rhizophorae and Lupinus tidestromii. Pelliciera rhizophorae is a mangrove that occurs in Central and South America, and is "the rarest of the rare." It only occurs in very specific habitats, with a narrow geographic distribution, and is not very abundant where it does occur. My dissertation research found that a combination of physiological constraints, competition and seed predation by crabs contribute to the rarity of this species.
Lupinus tidestromii is a federally endangered lupine endemic to sand dunes in California. European beachgrass is an invasive plant destroying habitat of L. tidestromii, and it also creates a home for native mice that eat seeds of L. tidestromii. Working with Tiffany Knight, I found that reducing seed predation by removing the invasive grass could increase population growth in this endangered species.
Organismic Biology (Biology 201)
Ecology, Evolution and Genetics (Biology 202)
Ecology (Biology 315)
Botany (Biology 322)
Marine Biology (Biology 324/424)
Tropical Biology (travel course in Belize) (Biology 323/423)
Genetics Laboratory (Biology 351/451)
Biology of a Changing Planet (Biology 383/484)
Research in Biology (Biology 392/492)
Research Methods (Co-instructor; Biology 468)
Research topics
Range expansion of mangroves in Florida
Mangroves have increased in abundance in northern Florida in the past few decades. Together with researchers from the Smithsonian, UCLA, and other institutions, I have been researching how quickly mangroves increase in abundance, the effects of nutrient enrichment on the invasion of saltmarshes by mangroves, and other effects of mangrove encroachment. See below for more.
How are rare plants responding to climate change?
Climate change is causing many species ranges to expand or contract. Starflower (Lysimachia borealis, formerly Trientalis borealis) is a boreal plant species that reaches its southern range edge (in the Midwest) in the Chicago area. Plant populations at the southern edge are smaller than further north in the range. My current project is investigating how at-risk these southern populations are to extinction due to climate change, demographic and genetic stochasticity. I am examining phenology of flowering and population growth of starflower in the Midwest. My students and I are using microsatellite markers to quantify genetic diversity in populations spanning a latitudinal gradient in the Midwest and plan to determine the center of genetic diversity for this species. We also are projecting rates of population growth or decline for southern range edge populations. If these populations are extirpated, will the species lose significant genetic diversity? Which conservation measures are most likely to be effective?
How does precocious reproduction contribute to a range expansion?
My postdoctoral research investigated traits related to reproduction and dispersal at the expanding range edge of mangroves in northern Florida. At the leading range edge, mangroves have developed precocious reproduction, with seedlings reproducing in the first year after establishment. Growing under a canopy or in a mature population, mangroves often take 10 to 15 years to reproduce, so this is a big life history shift over the species range. The mechanisms driving shorter time to reproduction in invasive mangroves are unknown. I used field experiments to understand the causes of precocious reproduction in mangroves.
What allows rare plants to persist?
Previous projects include work on the rare plants Pelliciera rhizophorae and Lupinus tidestromii. Pelliciera rhizophorae is a mangrove that occurs in Central and South America, and is "the rarest of the rare." It only occurs in very specific habitats, with a narrow geographic distribution, and is not very abundant where it does occur. My dissertation research found that a combination of physiological constraints, competition and seed predation by crabs contribute to the rarity of this species.
Lupinus tidestromii is a federally endangered lupine endemic to sand dunes in California. European beachgrass is an invasive plant destroying habitat of L. tidestromii, and it also creates a home for native mice that eat seeds of L. tidestromii. Working with Tiffany Knight, I found that reducing seed predation by removing the invasive grass could increase population growth in this endangered species.