Ecological and evolutionary responses to global change

Research in our lab evaluates responses to global change at multiple scales, from individual plants to ecosystem-level processes. We rely on the unifying concept of plant functional traits, that reflect trade-offs in ecological and evolutionary strategies, and integrate the responses of species to their environment, as well as the impact of species on ecosystem level processes. We focus on the native and invasive plants in Southern California ecosystems, and utilize multiple modes of inquiry, including field experiments, lab studies, data synthesis, and observations along natural gradients. One particular trait of interest is phenology, or seasonal timing, which influences many aspects of plant ecology and evolution.