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

植物的分布在一定程度上是由环境中潜在的变异模式决定的。植物物种对特殊环境的适应，如严酷的土壤化学，已经在几个自然系统中得到证明。尽管有这些例子，但相对于更常见的适应性选择--灵活的性状表达而言，植物对当地环境条件的适应似乎很少见。这项研究将记录加州北部一种独特的、受到威胁的自然系统--蛇纹岩土壤中土壤化学的变化模式。结合对入侵植物Erodium cicutum的大量田间试验，这项研究将为环境因素的变异模式如何驱动植物适应新环境提供新的见解。蛇纹岩土壤提供了独特的环境，支持了许多特有植物物种，并为其他本土植物物种提供了避难所，这些物种被外来入侵排除在原来的栖息地之外。这项研究将通过提高对入侵植物物种如何侵蚀蛇纹岩土壤的理解，并向在这一受威胁生境进行研究的其他科学家广泛提供所获得的数据，来支持这些重要和受威胁的生境的继续保护。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.