Migration & Mutualism
A biogeographic exploration of plant migration, nectar chemistry, and pollinator foraging behavior
My research investigates the reproductive ecology of the climate-driven range-expanding Avicennia germinans to gain a better understanding of how ecological interactions can shape species' geographic distributions. My research
takes a biogeographic approach and explores the reproduction of migrating plants from flower to
established seedling from the range core to the shifting range edge.
Over the past two centuries, the geographic distribution and abundance of Florida’s black mangroves have fluctuated approximately three degrees of latitude north of their historical range in sync with decreases in extreme cold events. Mangrove migration has crucial and complex implications for global wetland structure and function because as mangroves migrate into higher latitudes in response to climate, they will provide countless ecosystem services to threatened coastlines while also encroaching and replacing salt marsh habitats
Biotic interactions that facilitate reproductive success can play a significant role in population growth and persistence at geographic range limits
however, few studies have investigated the influence of pollinator attraction on plant range mobility.
Plants have many strategies for attracting pollinators including producing abundant flowers, sweet nectar, floral scents, and more. Plants can alter their nectar in ways that increase pollinator visitation frequency and duration and even in ways that attract specific pollinators.