Abby Kula

Advisors: Dr. Michele Dudash & Dr. Charlie Fenster

Previous Education:
M.S. Biology, Kansas State University
B.S. Entomology, Texas A&M University

Research Interests:
Although my past research experiences are in areas ranging from insect ecology to agronomy to plant populations and belowground reproduction, my primary research interest is the interaction between plants and insects, especially those relationships that involve complex interactions. For instance, my undergraduate research was on the effects of a biocontrol weevil on native flies within native thistles and the insects' combined effects on thistle seed production in the Nebraska Sand Hills, and my Masters research explored the multiple interactions between grasshopper herbivory, mycorrhizal symbiosis and host plant growth in tallgrass prairie. The aim of my dissertation research is to understand nursery pollination in Silene stellata (Caryophyllaceae). Adult moths of Hadena ectypa (Noctuidae) pollinate S. stellata flowers, while their larvae consume many of the fruits produced. An added complexity of this system is that the outcome of the interactions may be altered by pollination by other moths that do not consume fruits.

Location of Research:
Mountain Lake Biological Station (Pembroke, VA)

Publications:
Kula, A.A.R, D.C. Hartnett and G.W.T. Wilson. 2005. Effects of mycorrhizal symbiosis on tallgrass prairie plant–herbivore interactions. Ecology Letters. 8: 61-69.

Funding Sources:
2007 Mountain Lake Biological Station research fellowship
2006 ESA Plant Population Biology travel award