… the University of Minnesota and has been funded by the National Science Foundation since 2000. To learn why some small and isolated plant populations persist or grow while others perish, we … studies have provided insights into the ecology and conservation of prairie plant populations. To investigate factors that contribute to successful plant reproduction, we have monitored the flowering phenology and reproductive …
Type: Research
… and endangered species. Yet, they are among the most stressed ecosystems in the world. To support their conservation and prioritize interventions where they are most needed, it is critical to quantify wetland plant diversity and identify its drivers. This project uses different indicators derived from satellite imagery to estimate the plant diversity of wetland sites across the conterminous United States. These …
Type: Research
… in the wild—and in a greenhouse. Wade Wheatley, assistant horticulturist, seized the moment to hand-pollinate the flower. Why hand pollinate? In hopes of producing a vanilla bean. Yes, the fruit of a vanilla orchid is used to make pure vanilla extract, which flavors many foods we enjoy. Vanilla vines typically begin to flower at five years or older. Flowers are produced in clusters, with one flower opening each …
Type: Blog
… Are there bees in Chicago? How many different species? We’ve learned that the short answer to this question is: “Yes, there are wild bees in Chicago, and there are more than 80 species!” But is there anything special about these bees that allow them to persist in harsh urban environments? Do they possess certain ecological traits? Do they live … gradient paralleling the Union Pacific North Metra Line from the city of Chicago up to the Chicago Botanic Garden. And we’ve also been exploring how variation in urbanization can …
Type: Research
… Scientists have discovered that what and how caterpillars eat has led to the evolution of new species. Plant-eating insects make up nearly 25 percent of all animals globally, but we know little about how this great diversity came to be. Historically, scientists have affiliated this diversity with insects eating foods of … millions of years, the diversity of Mompha can be explained by moth caterpillars switching to new host plant species, plant parts (flowers, fruits, stems, leaves, roots), and how they eat …
Type: Research
… (You will typically see the eyespots when the butterflies’ wings are closed.) This is thought to help them ward off predators. Caligo translates to “darkness,” which corresponds to the fact that they prefer to fly in the early morning before their predators are out and …
Type: Blog
… occurring among species. These interactions can vary considerably through time—from hours, to days, seasons, years, decades, and beyond. Nevertheless, species interaction … most often studied as temporally static entities, even though the interactions that give rise to networks are often quite temporally flexible. We’ve been exploring temporal variation in plant-pollinator interaction networks to try and better understand how and why species interactions form, whether or not interaction …
Type: Research
… In partnership with The Nature Conservancy, we are working to harvest and map open-sourced community science data submitted through Budburst and iNaturalist … has two major goals: determining how (1) the ecological community context (e.g. proximity to natural areas or open space, land management, percent tree cover, etc.) and (2) the human … patterns of plant and animal biodiversity and participation in community science related to biodiversity mapping. (Taddeo, Havens, Oschrin) …
Type: Research
… and distribution of fungi and the factors influencing these patterns. Thus, in addition to spearheading survey and inventory projects in China and Latin America and undertaking … of Laccaria – Hydnangium clade and other model taxa, I have investigatied how fungi respond to anthropogenic stress and restoration efforts in the Chicago area, conservation practices in … This includes capacity building, raising awareness, creating tools, and leading efforts to assess the conservation status of fungi I co-created and direct the Global Fungal Red List …
Type: Staff bio
… of plants, my research uses phylogenomic, collections-based, and experimental field approaches to explore the evolution and genetic diversity of underutilized crops and their wild relatives, … biogeography, and taxonomic revisionary work. I am also interested in applying findings to conservation of plant genomic resources and more sustainable agriculture. …
Type: Staff bio
