Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas
I am currently an IRACDA Post-doctoral fellow working under the direction of Dr. Joy K. Ward in the University of Kansas Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I am investigating plant physiological responses to changing climatic conditions over the Pleistocene/Holocene and Mid/Late Pennsylvanian transitions. I received my PhD in Plant ecophysiology in the Department of Biology at the University of New Mexico under the direction of Dr. William T. Pockman.My dissertation research focused on physiological, ecological and evolutionary responses to freezing in the genus Larrea at high and low latitude sites at the Sevilleta LTER (Chihuahuan Desert) in N. America and the Monte Desert in S. America.
I use an integrated approach to understand the complex
relationships between plants and their environment and the evolution of
plant adaptations. I employ the techniques of physiological ecology,
paleo-physiology, and evolutionary ecology to elucidate the connections
between plant function and evolutionary processes. My research interests include leaf and xylem adaptations, whole plant co-ordination of function, the effects of habitat alteration and climate change, plant responses
to extreme events and environments, and the relative contributions of genotype and environment to physiological variation within and among
populations. Contact me: jmedeiros at ku dot edu
