Current Lab Members

​Emily Tate,
​MS Biology Student

Analysis of functional trait response plants in a long-term field experiment.  Long-term fertilization and mowing treatments have brought about dramatic changes in plant community composition in a wetland site.  Emily’s work will explore the biological processes underlying community assembly by characterizing the functional traits that are common in each treatment and measuring their plastic response to treatments. 

Krystyl Boyle, 
​Undergraduate student

Population genetic analysis of clonal growth in Arundinaria tecta Using AFLP genetic markers.  Krystyl is determining the spatial extent of clonal individuals of Arundinaria tecta (switchcane) in a long-term fertilization and mowing experiment.  Although switchcane is a dominant plant species of the coastal plain habitat, little is known about its genetic structure. Combining genetic data with long-term abundance data, Krystyl’s work will assess the effects of fertilization and mowing on clonal growth. ​Krystal's work is funded by an ECU Undergraduate Research and Creative Award grant.

​Julian Brady, 
​Undergraduate student

Analysis of leaf hairs as a functional trait in a long-term experiment.  The presence of leaf hairs is thought to affect rates of transpiration, leaf surface temperatures and light interception.  Julian’s work will ask whether the presence and abundance of species with leaf hairs have been influenced by fertilization and mowing treatments in a long-term experiment.  
​

Jacob Burch, ​
​Undergraduate student

Differential gene expression associated with transient self-incompatibility.  In Leptosiphon jepsonii, flowers are initially strongly self-incompatible but become capable of selfing after two days.  Using RNA-Seq, Jacob’s work will address differential gene expression in young vs. older flowers.  The goal is to begin to identify genes involved in this transient form of self-incompatibility. Jacob's work is funded by an ECU Undergraduate Research and Creative Award grant.