ABOUT MY RESEARCH

I am a first year Master's student in the Biology Department at Chico State University. I am excited to work with my lab advisor, Dr. Ivey, to investigate the range limits of a local endemic monkeyflower species, Mimulus glaucescens. I will investigate fitness differences between marginal and central populations of Mimulus glaucescens to infer the evolution of its limited distribution and how it may respond to environmental changes. I will also compare rates and types of herbivory to seek to understand the role of herbivory and environmental variation in the range limits of native plants. My research will contribute to understanding how endemic species ranges evolve and how endemic species may respond to future environmental change.