Orchids

The western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara), a threatened plant species restricted to a threatened community, the tallgrass prairie, has been studied extensively since being listed (Sheviak and Bowles, 1986).  Nonetheless, the reasons for its decreasing numbers over the past century remain unclear, beyond loss of habitat.  Population genetic studies of this and its sister species, Platanthera leucophaea, suggest that the pervasive small size and isolation of populations has led to high levels of inbreeding and potentially inbreeding depression (Ross and Travers, 2016; Wallace, 2002).  Thus, one limitation to the regeneration of robust numbers of P. praeclara individuals and populations may be low recruitment from the fitness costs of inbreeding depression and lack of adaptability in a changing world.  Declining population sizes, increased isolation and a changing climate puts a premium on the genetic and evolutionary advantages associated with sexual reproduction and outcrossing specifically. Multiple studies have established that cross-pollination results from visitation from no more than six species of hawkmoths (Westwood and Borkowsky, 2004a).  However, little is known about what limits the reproductive success of these plants and ultimately what determines the level of outcrossing experienced by individuals and populations. 

My lab is conducted field and laboratory experiments to a) achieve the long-term objective of understanding how outcross pollination in P. praeclara is influenced by morphological, demographic and ecological factors; and b) ) characterize the pollination networks of the nocturnal moth community associated with Platanthera praeclara . 

Here is an overview of our work on this orchid: https://apnews.com/article/north-dakota-manitoba-minnesota-prairie-orchid-research-83f66e71e850139d745bcc20aa393a3b