Our lab focuses work in two main areas: 1) supporting biology learning at the K-16 level through computer-based instruction and assessment and support of student psychosocial factors and 2) studying edaphic factors in plant invasion success in arid and semi-arid…
Surveying & monitoring plants and wildlife (primarily mammals, also birds & reptiles) in open space reserves in and around Redlands, CA. Passive and active ecological restoration of grassland, interior sage scrub, and chaparral ecosystems. Currently starting a multi-year experiment comparing…
I am a new plant ecology professor at Whittier College. My research focuses on terrestrial invasive plant ecology and on better understanding the mechanisms for how invasive plants enter undisturbed forest ecosystems. In the past I have used niche modeling…
My students and I study plant response to drought and fire. We are especially interested in fern desiccation tolerance and post fire ecology of chaparral shrubs. Photos
My research focuses on understanding how surrounding ecological environments have evolutionary consequences for organisms, with particular focus on endangered and invasive species. To do so, I use a multidisciplinary approach which includes genomics (from historical and modern samples), transcriptomics, ecophysiology…
My students and I study plant physiological responses to various environmental challenges, including drought and high temperatures. The plants hail from the desert and arid regions of southern California (agaves, cacti) to the tropical rainforest canopy (tank bromeliads). For summer…
My research addresses understanding the mechanisms underlying plant responses to global change, including drought, heat waves, and vapor pressure deficit. I focus on California native shrubs and tropical rainforest trees. Photos
The Questad lab studies ecological questions related to the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. Specific areas of focus include the reintroduction of plant species at-risk of extinction, the restoration of invaded ecosystems, and the application of remote sensing to…
We study the eco-physiological responses of plants to environmental stresses (primarily water limitations) at the leaf and whole plant levels, with the goal of understanding how plant populations will adjust to a changing climate. Photos
Research in our “Plants & H2O” Lab at Cal State Fullerton addresses many aspects of the interactions between plants and water and has ranged in scope from the physiology of the water-conducting system of vascular plants (the xylem) to the…
I study patterns of genetic variation in plants and the causes of that variation. Further, I study the consequences of plant genetic variation on the surrounding community. For example, I am currently setting up an experiment to study genetic variation…
My lab studies plant/insect/microbe interactions focusing on pollination services to urban milkweed ecology and desert evening primrose species.
My research aims to evaluate the impacts of environmental change on native plant communities and to explore methods for ecological restoration in the face of this change. Photos
