Christopher Ivey
Our lab uses the tools of evolution and ecology to study (mostly) plants, insects, and their interactions. Much of my research has focused on the evolution of reproductive strategies in plants, plant-insect interactions, as well as adaptation and speciation. See more here.
Photo by S. Chen
Recent Projects
Photo by A. Hove
Adaptive hypotheses to explain the evolution of self-fertilization in plants are well-characterized, but alternative evolutionary pathways are under-explored. The mating systems and photosynthetic rates of some sister Clarkia (above) have diverged in parallel, a pattern that could evolve through genetic correlations or independent transitions. We examined photosynthetic and outcrossing rates within multiple populations of two Clarkia taxa during two years. Within-population trends that mirror the between-taxon divergence would support the hypothesis of genetic correlation. Despite substantial variation in both traits, there was no consistent pattern observed within populations, suggesting that the between-taxon divergence more likely reflects independent evolutionary transitions.
Photo by Evan Tuchinsky, Chico News and Review
Wide-ranging organisms often are adapted to local conditions. The extent to which local adaptation to climate may be disrupted by ongoing climatic shifts is unclear. Phenology, or the timing of important life-history events, is expected to be particularly sensitive to climate in plants. We are studying variation in early-season phenology of Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) in a large-scale, replicated provenance trial involving accessions collected from 95 sites throughout California. The experiment is replicated at two US Forest Service sites, one in Chico and the other near Placerville. At each site, we compared variation in phenology with climate at the source of accessions. As the climate of California changes, the ability of valley oak phenology to adapte will depend on both plastic and genetic sources of variation.