plant ecology, seed dispersal, community assembly
My dissertation focuses on the role of seed dispersal in community assembly in annual grasslands in California. Because of the Mediterranean climate of mild winters and hot, dry summers, annual plants in this system must complete an entire life cycle from germination to seed production within only a few months. This condensed period of growth creates intense competition for resources, yet many grasslands are able to host a huge diversity of plant species simultaneously.
My work asks how do species-specific differences in seed dispersal influence biodiversity in this system? Dispersal alters patterns of spatial aggregation, which can influence species interactions, local assembly, and ultimately biodiversity. My research investigates these relationships between dispersal and community assembly, with applications in seed-based habitat restoration plans. Better knowledge of seed movement is critical to predicting how plants might be able to track favorable conditions as climate change becomes more extreme, so dispersal studies are necessary for identifying targets for seed banking and conservation.
I conduct my research at UCLA and at Sedgwick Reserve (UC Natural Reserve System) in Santa Barbara County, CA. As a land grant instution, UCLA acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (Los Angeles basin, Souther Channel Islands). Additionally, I acknowledge the Chumash peoples are the traditional caretakers of the land where my field research takes place at Sedgwick Reserve.
My work asks how do species-specific differences in seed dispersal influence biodiversity in this system? Dispersal alters patterns of spatial aggregation, which can influence species interactions, local assembly, and ultimately biodiversity. My research investigates these relationships between dispersal and community assembly, with applications in seed-based habitat restoration plans. Better knowledge of seed movement is critical to predicting how plants might be able to track favorable conditions as climate change becomes more extreme, so dispersal studies are necessary for identifying targets for seed banking and conservation.
I conduct my research at UCLA and at Sedgwick Reserve (UC Natural Reserve System) in Santa Barbara County, CA. As a land grant instution, UCLA acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (Los Angeles basin, Souther Channel Islands). Additionally, I acknowledge the Chumash peoples are the traditional caretakers of the land where my field research takes place at Sedgwick Reserve.
A vernal pool in central California, where rainfall collects on hardpan soils and creates a standing pool of water. As the pool shrinks in spring, wildflowers specialized to wet habitats bloom!
|
Dispersal evolution and habitat specialization in California vernal pool species
Prior to my PhD, I worked as a field technician alongside postdoctoral researchers in Dr. Nancy Emery's research group at the University of Colorado-Boulder. This project assessed evolutionary feedback between seed dispersal and habitat specialization. In vernal pool environments, rainfall varies year over year and the pools fill to different depths. What is perfect habitat in one year can become not so great the next, and this variation favors species with the ability to disperse. If a species can diversify where its seeds go, it’s more likely to find something favorable for next year -- but if it keeps seeds clustered in one place, there’s no "safety net" if that area becomes unfavorable next year. This project investigates the relationships between habitat specialization, differences in landscape patches and suitability, and dispersal strategies in three species of Lasthenia (goldfields) that prefer different submergence depths. Many early mornings in the fog at Jepson Prairie Preserve (UC Natural Reserve System) made this research happen! For thousands of years, the land where Jepson Prairie exists today has been the home of Patwin people, including the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation currently. The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected as elders have instructed younger generations. I am honored and grateful to have conducted research here and shared my enthusiasm for the land's natural beauty through the docent program. |
|
My early research experience focused on genetics and plant breeding, specifically in tomatoes.
Research I presented at the UC Davis Undergraduate Research Conference focused on genetic controls of leaf shape and complexity in heirloom tomatoes. Plants with simple, wide leaves (a characteristic called potato leaf morph) were expected to have higher fruit sugar content than plants with highly dissected leaflets, thought to be driven by a difference in overall photosynthetic capacity of these leaves. We used CRISPR-Cas9 to mutate the gene controlling potato leaf morph and analyzed the resulting leaf phenotypes and fruit sugar content. Depending on the type and size of the mutation, leaf phenotypes and sugar content varied widely. Ongoing research investigates how leaf shape contributes to sugar content, with the goal of identifying a simple trait to select in plant breeding that contributes to high fruit sugar content. Following my time at UC Davis, I worked in a tomato breeding research group at a vegetable seed company. I conducted independent research projects for both the fresh market and processing market tomato teams in addition to working with the ongoing seed, greenhouse, and field projects both on-site and in field trials across California's central valley. |
|
