Senescence in plants and fungi Do all organisms deteriorate with age? The evidence is equivocal. A significant portion of our recent research effort is aimed at understanding ageing in long-lived plants and fungi. See our efforts in the popular science press here.
The evolution of sprouting and flowering If plants need to sprout to produce energy and reproduce, then why do so many plants remain underground without any aboveground sprouts for years at a time? We are working on solutions to this important problem.
Macroevolution of broad interactions Is there an evolutionary pattern to generalist associations between different species? We are testing the role of evolutionary history in determining interaction breadth, using the orchid mycorrhiza as a case study.
Microevolution of symbioses in long-lived species Could symbioses by adaptive because they buffer against harsh times? We are using intensive in situ experimentaion to test the impacts of symbioses on the long-term demography of interacting organisms, using rare forest orchids as the study system.
Eco-evolutionary dynamics We are particularly interested in studying how eco-evolutionary feedbacks impact life histories, and ecosystem properties.
All of our projects involve post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduate students. If interested in getting involved, drop us a line!
Copyright 2013 Richard P. Shefferson. All rights reserved.