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Research
Interests:
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| Gene flow and
flowering
phenology |
Determining patterns of
gene
dispersal in natural
populations is central to our understanding of population
structure.
Numerous studies have examined gene flow
among and within populations. Fine-scale
spatial patterns are especially important in plants with limited pollen
movement and seed dispersal. Limited
gene flow within a population can lead to isolation by
distance. Few
studies have
examined how temporal traits can also influence genetic
structuring in population. For
outcrossing plants, reproductive success depends on
synchronous flowering
phenology. I am investigating how
individual plants' flowering phenology shapes the within population
gene flow throughout the flowering season.
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Harvesting seed for ex situ conservation
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| Harvesting seed from
natural
populations is necessary
for many ex situ conservation
practices
such as restorations and seed banking. When
collectors do not consider the genetic makeup of
the seed collection there could be dire consequences
for the
conservation effort. Many studies have
looked at seed collection in a spatial framework: these studies have
examined
both the consequences of random and non-random sampling techniques. However, no study has examined the
consequences
of non-random sampling techniques over the course of a flowering season. Typically, seed collectors visit a site only
once, at the height of seed maturity. This
method of seed collection is not a truly random sample of
the
population, since plants that set seed early or late are not
represented. I am studying how the
timing and number of
seed collections affects the genetic diversity sampled from
a
population and the quality of seeds collected. |
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