Pressing flowers between pages…
My five-year research plan is split across five projects. (Projects 1 and 2) Assessing how climate variability affects bee phenology and abundance and the mechanisms involved. We will add to a 10-year dataset that is addressing how climate and flowering patterns directly and indirectly affect the phenology and abundance of bees, and how bee life history traits may buffer them (or make them more susceptible) to changes in climate. This dataset is publicly available online and is well-resolved to the species level, making it an exemplary resource for not only my lab and the RMBL community but also the scientific community at large. (Project 3) Exploring the secondary chemistry of floral rewards and how particular pollen species affect bee disease. There is growing recognition that secondary compounds are not only expressed in foliar tissue, but also floral tissue and nectar and pollen rewards. We are building off a tritrophic effects framework to assess how nectar and pollen diets have indirect effects on bees by mediating host-parasite interactions. (Project 4) Investigating invasive plant biology. We will continue a long-term management project on Linaria vulgaris assessing how various management strategies affect L. vulgaris abundance and spread. (Project 5) Tick distributions in Gunnison County. Ticks are important vectors of disease transmission in humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife. We will continue monitoring tick distributions north of Almont and across an elevation gradient from Almont to Mexican Cut.
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