Many congratulations to Holly Andrews who successfully defended her Master’s thesis at the end of April.  Holly’s thesis is entitled, “Changes in water availability and variability affect plant defenses and herbivore responses in grassland forbs” and considers how milkweed plants might respond to predicted changes in precipitation regimes.  Holly found effects of water availability and variability both on plant growth and plant defense against herbivores.  Her results suggest that milkweed species and genotypes have the potential for both adaptation and migration under climate change, but that herbivores will influence the outcome of such plant responses.

Holly will spend part of the summer with us in Michigan heading west.   She will be attending the University of California – Riverside to complete her doctorate in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology with Dr. Darrel Jenerette. Holly will continue to look at plant and ecosystem ecology in the face of global environmental change.

Congratulations Holly – we’re proud of you!