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.
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
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.