Dissertation Research: The Ecological Genetics of Plant Tolerance in Relation to Mammalian Herbivory in Ipomopsis Aggregata (Polemoniaceae)

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9623528 Bergelson The environmental impact of grazing can be dramatic, influencing both biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems. Many studies have documented loss of biodiversity, decreases in plant population size, invasion of exotic weeds, and degraded water quality due to livestock grazing on public lands. Most of these impacts are due to the direct effect of herbivory on native plants. The research funded by this award addresses the ecological and genetic factors regulating the impact of grazing on native plants. In particular, experiments will address the environmental and genetic controls on plant resistance to herbivory. Plant resistance will be analyzed in its two component aspects: defense, decreasing the frequency of attack and tolerance, allowing regrowth and compensation for lost tissue (tolerance). This research will utilize experimentally manipulations to investigate ecological factors which influence the impact of grazing on plants along with modern quantitative genetics approaches to mechanistically investigate how plants cope with and deter browsing. Findings should contribute to our knowledge of how grazing regimes might be altered to reduce their damaging effects. The results will have direct implications for our understanding of the effects of browsing on native plants and may provide insight into novel approaches for pest management in agricultural systems.