Department of Entomology

Chemical ecology, plant secondary compounds.

Currently I am studying the effects of artificial browsing, similar to that of a large herbivore, and different nutrient levels on young aspen (Populus tremuloides). This works involves growing replicates of several different aspen genotypes, all originally collected form southern Wisconsin, in large pots in a common garden setting on the University of Wisconsin campus under a low and high nutrient treatment and removing 50-75% of the above ground biomass on half of the trees. The different genotypes are then monitored for changes in secondary chemistry (phenolic glycosides and condensed tannins), and their ability to regrow after browsing, including leaf area, mass, and branching patterns.