dudashlabpage

Welcome to the Lab of Michele Dudash at

University of Maryland

Courses taught:
College Park Scholars Colloquium
Undergraduate Honors Seminar - HONR 289c History of Evolutionary Thought
Introductory Evolution and Ecology
Graduate seminars in Plant Conservation and Restoration
Plant Population Biology

Education:
B.S. Millersville University, Millersville PA
Ph.D. University of Illiniois at Chicago, IL
Post-Doc University of Toronto.

In my lab we focus on both ecological and genetic factors responsible for a plant population’s persistence or demise. In this context I am involved with ongoing work on mating system evolution, pollination syndrome evolution, demography of populations, and the role inbreeding and phenotypic plasticity play in the evolution of plant populations. My research also directly relates to the need for baseline data that may be utilized to help form successful conservation and restoration management plans for threatened taxa as well as understanding the biology behind successful invasion of non-native taxa. My research program is field oriented with complimentary greenhouse and laboratory studies.

In the past we have addressed the role of inbreeding depression and its genetic basis in the evolution of plant mating systems in the model system, Mimulus. We have shown that inbreeding depression for both the selfing, Mimulus micranthus, and mixed-mating taxa, Mimulus guttatu, is dominance based. Additionally maternal families vary in their response to serial inbreeding, thus purging of the genetic load is possible following environmental conditions that promote self-matings or biparental inbreeding.

Relevant articles:

Knight, T. Tiffany M. Knight, J. A. Steets, J. C. Vamosi, S. J. Mazer, M. Burd, D. R. Campbell, M. R. Dudash, M. O. Johnston, R. J. Mitchell, and T-L. Ashman. 2005. Pollen Limitation of Plant Reproduction: Pattern and Process. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics36: 467- 497.

Ashman T-L, T. M. Knight, J. Steets, P. Amarasekare, M. Burd, D. R. Campbell, M. R. Dudash, M. O. Johnston, S. J. Mazer, R. J. Mitchell, M. T. Morgan, and W. G. Willson. 2004. Pollen limitation of plant reproduction: ecologial and evolutionary causes and consequences. Ecology 85: 2408-2421.

Carr, D.E., and M.R. Dudash. 2003. Recent approaches into the genetic basis of inbreeding depression in plants. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B. 358: 1071-1084.

Dudash, M. R. and D. E. Carr. 1998. Genetics underlying inbreeding depression in Mimulus with contrasting mating systems. Nature 393: 682-68.

Carr, D. E. and M. R. Dudash. 1997. The effects of five generations of enforced selfing on potential male and female function in Mimulus guttatu. Evolution 51: 1795-1805.

Carr, D. E., C. B. Fenster, and M. R. Dudash. 1997. The relationship between mating-system characters and inbreeding depression in Mimulus guttatus. Evolution 51: 363-372.

Dudash, M. R., D. E. Carr, and C. B. Fenster. 1997. Five generations of enforced selfing and outcrossing in Mimulus guttatus: inbreeding depression variation at the population and family level.Evolution 51: 54-65.

Carr, D. E. and M. R. Dudash. 1996. Inbreeding depression in two species of Mimulus (Scrophulariaceae) with contrasting mating systems. American Journal of Botany 83: 586-593.

Carr, D. E. and M. R. Dudash. 1995. Inbreeding depression under a competitive regime in Mimulus guttatus: consequences for potential male and female function. Heredity 75: 437-445.

Understanding the interaction between inbreeding and phenotypic plasticity: Mimulus guttatus as a model system for studying establishment and persistence of invasive species

In the model system, Mimulus guttatus, we have examined how eight source populations that vary in both population size and ecological attributes from the native range within California vary in their expression of inbreeding depression and phenotypic plasticity on population founding and establishment success in both native and novel habitats. Secondly, we are quantifying how 3 generations of enforced selfing influences individual fitness and the expression of phenotypic plasticity in the greenhouse, native field environment and non-native habitat.

Emerging results from our data analyses to date include striking variation among all eight source population in their commitment to sexual reproduction in the native range and a switch in life history strategy towards a preference for vegetative/asexual reproduction in the non-native environments. Overall performance in native and non-native habitats is trait dependent and not necessarily predictable or associated with ancestral environmental and genetic variability or population size. In our empirical investigation of inbreeding and phenotypic plasticity we are observing genetic variation among morphological, life history and fitness traits for the expression of phenotypic plasticity. We are also detecting a large environmental role on the expression of inbreeding depression as well as phenotypic plasticity. To our knowledge, this is the first series of experiments simultaneously examining both genetic and ecological factors that influence phenotypic plasticity and ultimately colonizing ability in both native and novel habitats.

Murren, C. J., L. Douglass, A. Gibson, and M. R. Dudash. 2006. Individual and combined effects of serpentine and drought on trait expression in Mimulus guttatus. Ecology 87: 2591-2606.

Dudash. M. R., C. J. Murren, and D. E. Carr. 2005. Using Mimulus as a model system tounderstand the role of inbreeding in conservation and ecological approaches. Annals of the Missouri Botanic Garden. 92(1): 36-51.

The second focus of my research program is aimed at restoration and conservation biology. I seek to better understand the population dynamics of both native and non-native species in population establishment and range expansion. I am also interested in the role of inbreeding and the expression of inbreeding depression on the design of conservation and restoration strategies.

I have recently spent a sabbatical in Australia collaborating with Dr. Andrew Young at CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra. Andrew has been studying the reproductive biology of Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides (Asteraceaea), an endangered genetically self-incompatbile, herbaceous, perennial that occurs in natural grassland fragments of southeastern Australia. There are about 30 populations remaining varying in size from less than 100 to a thousand individuals in southern Australia. Population size is important because this species is self-incompatible there are even fewer mating types in a small versus a large population owing to a lack of S allele diversity. We conducted pollinator observations on 2 small and 2 large populations of R. leptorrhynchoides in the Canberra area to determine who the visitors were and their visitation patterns, within versus among plants in the study populations. We also performed a genetic rescue experiment where we augmented 2 small and 2 large female target populations with pollen from 2 small and 2 large male donor populations. Our overall goal is to determine if we can augment pollen diversity through introducing novel S alleles into the population via hand-pollinations to increase seed set in the field of this endangered species.

Dudash, M. R. and C. B. Fenster. 2000. Inbreeding and outbreeding depression in fragmented populations. In Genetics, Demography, and Viability of Fragmented Populations, edited by A. Young and G. Clarke, pp. 55-74, Cambridge University Press, UK .

Fenster, C. B. and M. R. Dudash. 1994. Genetic considerations for plant population conservation and restoration. In Restoration of Endangered Species: Conceptual Issues, Planning, and Implementation, pp. 34-62, edited by M. L. Bowles and C. Whelan, Cambridge University Press.

The third focus of my research program is trying to understand the selective forces responsible for the evolution of pollination syndromes. I am involved in an ongoing collaboration with Dr. Charles Fenster on a long-term field study to address the evolution of and degree of specialization between the animal visitors to three related species of Silene that differ in their floral design and reward system. Silene virginica has red tubular flowers that are primarily hummingbird pollinated. S. virginica’s two closest sister taxa are Silene stellata, which has white bowl flowers that are initially receptive at night and are first visited by noctuid moths and by bumble bees during the day. Silene caroliniana appears to be visited primarily during the day and clearwing hawkmoths and Bombus are some of the common visitors. We are examining the role of pollinators as selective agents utilizing three approaches. First, we are estimating pollinator importance in terms of both male and female function. Second, we are conducting cohort phenotypic selection studies across years for both S. virginica and S. caroliniana. Third, we are conducting a series of single and multi-trait floral phenotypic manipulations for each of the three Silene species. Thus we hope to provide a deeper understanding of the validity of the pollination syndrome concept as well as the selective processes responsible for the origin and maintenance of floral traits in the three divergent, yet closely related species of Silene. This work also addresses the importance of maintaining habitat to allow critical associations between plant species and their pollinators to help preserve species biodiversity.

Fenster, C. B., G. Cheely, M. R. Dudash and R. J. Reynolds. 2006. Nectar Reward and Advertisement in Hummingbird-Pollinated Silene virginica, (Caryophyllaceae). American Journal of Botany 93: 1800-1807.

Kephart, S. R. J. Reynolds, M. Rutter, C. B. Fenster, and M. R. Dudash. 2006. Pollination and seed predation by moths on Silene and allied Caryophyllaceae: Evaluating a model system to study the evolution of mutualisms. New Phytologist 169: 667-680.

Fenster, C. B., W. S. Armbruster, M. R. Dudash, J. Thomson and P. Wilson. 2004. Pollination syndromes and the evolution of floral diversity. Annual Reviews of Ecology and Systematics 35: 375-403.

Dudash. M. R. and C. B. Fenster, C. B. 2001. The role of breeding system and inbreeding depression in the maintenance of an outcrossing mating strategy in Silene virginica (Caryophyllaceae). American Journal of Botany 88: 1953-1959.

Fenster, C. B. and M. R. Dudash. 2001. Spatiotemporal variation in the role of hummingbirds as pollinators of Silene virginica. Ecology 82: 844-851.

Armbruster, W. S., C. B. Fenster, and M. R. Dudash. 2000. Pollination “principles” revisited: specialization, pollination syndromes, and the evolution of flowers. Det Norske Videnskapsakademia. I. Matematisk Naturvidenskapelige Klasse, Skrifter , Ny Serie 39: 139-148.

Director of the interdisciplinary graduate program in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics (BEES) at UM 2006-2008

"The role of pollinators as selective agents in the evolution of pollination syndromes among three eastern North American sister taxa of Silene"

"Inter-community variation in nursery pollination of Silene stellata (Caryophyllaceae)"

Clark Rusing - 1st year Phd student co-advised with Pete Marra (Smithsonian Institution)

I normally have between 5-10 undergraduates assisting me in my research at UM each semester. These students come to me via the campus wide Federal Work Study Program and through the Undergraduate Research Assistantship Program at UM.

Eddie Bynes – independent research project for course credit at UM . Currenty at Duke for a Ph.D.

Former Undergraduate Research Assistants at UM and Mtn. Lake Biological Station :

William Straw in the Independent Studies Program. UM, 1990.

Roelof Irausquin, volunteer, UM, 1992-1993.

Yunny Na, volunteer, UM, 1992.

Jim Pippin, volunteer, UM, 1992.

Kathryn Oplinger, Undergraduate research assistant program (URAP), UM, 1993- 1996.

Alexis Rodhe, BOTN 211 volunteer, UM, 1993.

Jessica Wilson, volunteer in URAP Program UM, 1994-1995.

Tony Marketon, volunteer in URAP Program UM, 1994-1995.

Mary Jo Bogenschutz-Godwin, volunteer in URAP Program, UM, 1995.

Jake Hughes, volunteer in URAP Program, UM, 1995.

MaryAnne Gamao, College Park Scholar internship and URAP volunteer, 1995.

Niki Smith, College Park Scholar internship and URAP volunteer, 1995.

William Miller, volunteer in URAP program, 1995.

Esther Sleeth, College Work Study, 1995-1997.

Barbara Dominguez, volunteer in URAP program, 1995 - 1996; CWS 1996-1997.

Syed Ali , volunteer in URAP program, 1996.

Jayme Dawson, volunteer in URAP program, 1996.

Sin Kie Yeung, College Park Scholar internship and URAP volunteer, 1996.

Research Assistants 2002-2003: Lauren Bausel, Lee Meifang, Rebecca Russell.

Research Assistants 2003-2004: Uchechukwu Amadi, Tara Bevard, Edmond Byrnes, Jenn Fien, Paul Goodman, Peter Machado, Saira Nisar , Jose L. Ortiz, Kevin Phongagsorn , Ellei Sephari, Casey Rice, Emily Uphoff, Yeo Jin Yoon, Jen Zerfass, Erika Wallace.

Edmond Byrnes, BIOL 399 Fall 2004: Independent 2 credit hour research project. Currently a Ph.D. student at Duke Univ. Fall 2006.

Research Assistants 2004-2005: Emily Uphoff, Fang Xu, Juli Hause, Christian Brown, Veder Garcia, Debra Friedman, Susan Jackson, May Nguy, Naveeda Mahmood.

Cynthia Chang, ENSP Honor’s thesis student with a Howard Hughes Fellowship, Summer 2003–Spring 2005. In Ph.D. program at Yale University.

Julie Cridland URAP, Fall 2005-Spring 2005. Currently a Ph.D. student at Univ. of Calif., Irvine, Fall 2006.

Naveeda Mahmood, 2005 URAP and Independent undergraduate research project 3 credits, Fall 2005.

Allison Hagerman Fall 2005, Undergraduate Research Assistant.

Research Assistants Spring 2006: Azharul Haque and Joshua Pearl.

Research Assistants Fall 2006 and Spring 2007: Joshua Pearl, Roseline Boateng

William Storms Dwyer 2006-2007. Senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School Research Practicum at Mountain Lake Biological Station and UM.

Cynthia Hassler, 1991,1992, research assistant, 1993,1994, NSF REU at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster.

Mara Sanchez, volunteer 1991-1992, REU student from NSF grant, UM, 1993-1995 and NSF REU, Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster.

Bridget Byers, REU student from NSF grant, UM, 1994-1995.

Mary Meredith, NSF REU student from NSF grant, UM, 1995-1996.

Sadie Jernigan, Summer 1996, NSF REU student at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster.

George Cheely, Amherst College, Summer 2002, NSF REU student at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster.Attending Medical School at Univ. of Pennsylvania.

Peter Stevens, Summer 2002, Lawrence University, NSF REU at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster. In graduate school at Cornell Univ.

Jeremy Ash 2002, McGill University, NSF REU at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster. In Ph.D. program at Univ. of Miami at Ohio.

Marjorie Westbrook 2002, University of Virginia, NSF REU student at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster. In Ph.D. program at U. of Calif. Berkeley.

Christopher Williams 2005, Frostburg State and University of Virginia, McNair Scholar and NSF REU student at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster. In Ph.D. program at Georgetown University Fall 2006.

Alexandra Rhode 2005, University of Virginia, NSF REU student at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster.

Ana Chuquin 2007, University of Maryland NSF-REU, co-mentored with C. Fenster.

Roseline Boateng 2007, University of Maryland NSF-REU, co-mentored with C. Fenster.

Dean Castillo, 2008, Cornell University and NSF-REU at Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, co-mentored with C. Fenster.

M. Dudash Lab Contact Info: Michele

Department of Biology
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Phone: 301-405-1642
Fax: 301-314-9358
mdudash(at)umd.edu