We use a combination of field experimentation and molecular genetic approaches to study a number of questions of ecological, evolutionary and conservation importance. We are particularly interested in two general areas: 1) the ecology and evolutionary biology of species interactions and 2) from a conservation genetic perspective, the ecological and evolutionary consequences of small population size. Much of our research work is conducted within the San Francisco Peaks region of north-central Arizona near Flagstaff.

Some of our projects include:

• Plant herbivory and the phenomenon of overcompensation
• Functional Genomics of Overcompensation
• Hybrid zones and plant-animal interactions
• Life history evolution
• Demography and genetics of small populations

Collaborative Projects

Several collaborative molecular genetics projects are being conducted in our lab. Projects include:

• Molecular genetics of Asian long horned beetle invasion
• Paleohistory of spruce migration using molecular markers
• Roles of paleohistory and anthropogenic landscape alteration in structuring intraspecific genetic diversity
• Functional genomics of inbreeding depression