Ellen Waddle

I am a fourth year Ph.D. student in the EBIO department. I am interested in the effect of asymmetrical (or directional) gene flow on local adaptation in montane plant communities. In montane regions where terrain is steep, seed dispersal likely biases gene flow downhill. However, for locally adapted populations to respond to warming, adaptive alleles must move upslope. Further, little is known about how pollinators alter foraging routes when in steep terrain. My work combines field work and modeling approaches to understand the spatial direction and variability of gene flow in uneven terrain, and implications for adaptation and persistence.