Jean H. Burns Ecology Lab - Rhododendron study system

Rhododendron study system

Our research on the ecophysiology of stress tolerance in Rhododendron was funded by the National Science Foundation (DEB 2217714).

Soil microbial interactions

Pictured (L-R): Nick Schlosser, Alexis Balog, Dr. Jean Burns, Evan Fritzke, and Yu Liu at Holden Arboretum, summer 2018.

Ph.D. student Yu Liu's research is exploring the role of soil biota in disease resistance to the devastating pathogen root rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi) in Rhododendron (Liu et al. 2021, Liu et al. 2023).

RA-LEAFY

We are piloting a community scientist database for leaf traits in Rhododendrons and Azaleas. See the R-RN newsletter for more.

Rhododendron Research Network

Jean serves on the steering committee for this international research network, initiated by collaborator Juliana Medeiros, at Holden Arboretum.

Funded by the

National Science Foundation

Horticultural Research Institute

American Rhododendron Society

Azalea Society of America

Case Western Reserve University's SOURCE program.

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Expanding Horizons Initiative, College of Arts and Sciences, CWRU

Peer Reviewed Publications

Liu3, Yu, Juliana S. Medeiros, Jean H. Burns. 2021. The soil biotic community protects Rhododendron spp. across multiple clades from the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi at a cost to plant growth. Oecologia.195: 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-020-04762-1

Highlighted Student Research

Data: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/G6RJP

"Best Graduate Research Paper" by the Department of Biology, CWRU.

Medeiros, Juliana S., Charlotte R. Hewins, Aaron Baumgardner, Jean H. Burns. 2020. From many, one: investigating the influence of evolutionary history, phenology and plant architecture on leaf-xylem relationships across ecologically diverse genus Rhododendron. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 181(1):103–115.

Invited.

Medeiros, Juliana S., Yu Liu, and Jean H. Burns. 2019. The Unique Value of Genus Rhododendron for Investigating the Evolutionary Ecology of Root-microbe Interactions. Rhododendrons International. 3: 66-81.

Medeiros, Juliana S., Jean H. Burns, Jaynell Nicholson, Louisa Rogers, and Oscar Valverde-Barrantes. 2017. Decoupled leaf and root carbon economics is a key component in the ecological diversity and evolutionary divergence of deciduous and evergreen lineages of genus Rhododendron. American Journal of Botany. doi: 10.3732/ajb.170005

'Editor's Choice'

Popular Press

Yu Liu and Jean Burns were interviewed by For the Love of Rhododendron podcast.

Jean H. Burns. 2021. Research Resources Highlight. Rhododendron Research Network Newsletter - 7 July 2021

Yu Liu. 2018. Student Research Highlight. Rhododendron Research Network Newsletter - July 2, 2018.

Yu Liu and Jean H. Burns. 2018. Plants influence one another through complex interactions with soil microbes. Holden Forest and Gardens Magazine. Fall 2018.

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