Charismatic macroflora: Caulanthus inflatus
A long-term focus of my research has been the inextricable interrelationship between ecology and evolution, and its effect on the functioning of natural systems. My research, and that of my lab, focuses on how organisms are influenced both ecologically and evolutionarily by the complex communities in which they are embedded.
The ecology of organisms reflects their long-term evolutionary history, with all its contingencies. The extent to which related species share and diverge in ecologically important traits, and how this shared ancestry affects community assembly, is a growing area within ecology. In addition, ecological dynamics and community assembly are influenced by microevolutionary change. Ecological communities and abiotic environments exert selection on organisms; evolution in response to such selection, under the constraints of long-term evolutionary history, often results in populations that differ in traits from the parental generation. These different trait values, in turn, can feed back to affect the ecology of a system.
Using the tabs on this web page, you will be able to find research interests (Research) and a link to my Google Scholar page for publications. Most importantly, you can find research conducted by all the great people who are currently (People) or have been (Alumni) in the lab.
Sharon Y. Strauss 
