The Shefferson Lab is the Plant/Fungal Evolutionary
Ecology Lab at the Odum School of Ecology,
University of Georgia.
SHEFFERSON LAB IN THE NEWS:
The maturing science of getting old (Inside Science)
CURRENT PROJECTS:
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!
Ecology Lab at the Odum School of Ecology,
University of Georgia.
SHEFFERSON LAB IN THE NEWS:
The maturing science of getting old (Inside Science)
CURRENT PROJECTS:
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.
Welcome to the Shefferson Lab
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