Plant adaptation to unique soil types
Unique soils, such as serpentine or gypsum, are hotspots of biological diversity. As such, they are excellent locations for asking questions related to adaptation and acclimation, as well as being areas of conservation concern. In addition to projects related to nutrient resorption and storage at the UC McLaughlin Reserve, I am investigating questions related to seed and seedling ecology of serpentine and non-serpentine shrubs, as well as plant-soil relations on gypsum outcrops in the Chihuahuan Desert. This work seeks to understand the physiological mechanisms promoting adaptation to these unique soils and how they relate to species evolution in these habitats.
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