DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Assessing the Biological Relevance of Environmental Variation: How Does Heterogeneity Influence Adaptation and Phenotypic Plasticity in an Invasive Plant?

植物的分布在某种程度上是由环境中潜在的变异模式决定的。植物物种适应独特的环境，如恶劣的土壤化学，已被证明在几个自然系统。尽管有这些例子，植物对当地环境条件的适应似乎是罕见的相对于更常见的替代适应，灵活的性状表达。本研究将记录北方加州一个独特而受威胁的自然系统中土壤化学变化的模式。结合对入侵植物物种Erodium cicutarium的广泛实地实验，这项研究将为环境因素的变化模式如何驱动植物适应新的环境提供新的见解。土壤提供了一个独特的环境，它支持许多特有的植物物种，并为其他本地植物物种提供了一个避难所，从他们以前的栖息地被入侵。这项研究将支持这些重要和受威胁的栖息地的持续保护，既提高了对入侵植物物种如何侵入蛇纹石土壤的理解，又使获得的数据广泛提供给在这一受威胁的栖息地进行研究的其他科学家。此外，这项研究还纳入了来自不同社会经济背景的大学生的参与。本科生作为研究助理参与了这项研究，并进行了获奖的独立实验。

Plant distributions are, in part, determined by underlying patterns of variation in the environment. Adaptation of plant species to unique environments, such as harsh soil chemistry, has been demonstrated in several natural systems. Despite these examples plant adaptation to local environmental conditions appears to be rare relative to the more common alternative to adaptation, flexible trait expression. This research will document patterns of variation in soil chemistry in a unique and threatened natural system, serpentine soils in Northern California. When combined with extensive field experiments on the invasive plant species, Erodium cicutarium, this research will provide a novel insight into how patterns of variation in environmental factors drive plant adaptation to novel environments. Serpentine soils provide a unique environment, which supports many endemic plant species and provides a refuge for other native plant species excluded from their former habitats by invasives. This research will support the continued conservation of these important and threatened habitats by both improving the understanding of how invasive plant species encroach upon serpentine soils and making data obtained widely available to other scientists conducting research in this threatened habitat. Additionally, this research has incorporated the participation of undergraduates from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Undergraduates have participated in this research as research assistants and by conducting award winning independent experiments.