I am broadly interested in the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of natural plant populations. The principal goal of my research is to understand the key forces that drive population and community interactions. I investigate the mechanics of these interactions from the molecular to the ecological scales using a variety of laboratory and greenhouse studies, with field sites and projects in Florida, California and Australia. I focus on testing key components of contemporary ecological and evolutionary theory with the goal of attaining a more complete understanding of natural systems.

Evolutionary responses of plants to climate change. This work focuses on how plant traits, especially those related to phenology such as flowering time, evolve in response to changing environmental conditions. Past and current work involves the annual plant Brassica rapa and response to natural drought in southern California. Future work will also involve a coordinated effort to collect seeds of many species throughout North America so that ancestors can be compared to descendants to better understand evolutionary responses to climate change. This work will be done through Project Baseline.

Evolution and population dynamics in invasive species. This work involves understanding how invasive species evolve in their new habitats and what factors influence their population dynamics. I am particularly interested in how release from natural enemies affects the evolution of resistance to herbivory and the impacts of reintroducing natural enemies through biological control. Past and current work centers on the plant Melaleuca quinquenervia, which is native to Australia and invasive in the Florida Everglades. Other species considered for future work include Allaria petiolata (garlic mustard), Lythrum salicaria (purple loostrife) and Phragmites australia (phragmites).