Trait-based Plant Ecology
I study the ecological and evolutionary causes and consequences of trait variation and integration across biological scales, from within individuals to among communities. We answer questions at the intersection of plant ecophysiology, trait-based ecology, community ecology, phenotypic integration and selection.
We are empiricists, using observational and experimental studies, both in the field and in the lab to uncover general principles governing patterns of trait diversity. Study organisms include tropical and temperate trees, temperate understory perennials and Arabidopsis thaliana.