Lynn Adler
Professor
Education
B.S., Brown University, 1993
Ph.D., University of California at Davis, 2000
Postdoctoral: University of Arizona, 2000-2001
Research Interests:
Ecology and Evolution of Insect-Plant Interactions
Although many ecological and evolutionary studies focus on single species or two-species interactions, there is a growing recognition that the factors determining the distribution and abundance of species and the evolution of phenotypic traits can only be understood in the context of multiple interactions. For example, interactions with antagonists and mutualists have historically been studied independently, although plants are often under simultaneous and potentially conflicting selective pressures exerted by both groups. My research integrates plant-animal interactions across mutualisms and antagonisms, including floral, foliar, and belowground tissues, to arrive at a more complete understanding of how multiple species select on resistance and attractive traits. My approach has combined novel techniques and experimental manipulations in the field with greenhouse and laboratory experiments to dissect aspects of this complex empirical question, and involves studies in both basic and applied systems.
Representative Publications:
Figueroa LLP, Fowler AEG, Lopez SU, Amaral VE, Koch H, Stevenson PC, Irwin RE and LS Adler. 2023. Sunflower spines and beyond: mechanisms and breadth of pollen that reduce gut pathogen infection in the common eastern bumble bee. Functional Ecology 37(6): 1757-69. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14320
Malfi RMP, McFrederick QS, Lozano G, Irwin RE and LS Adler. 2023. Sunflower plantings reduce a common gut pathogen and increase queen production in free-foraging bumble bee colonies. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 290: 0230055. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.0055.
Fowler AEG, Giacomini JJ, Connon SJ, Irwin RE and LS Adler. 2022. Sunflower pollen reduces a gut pathogen in the model bee species, Bombus impatiens, but has weaker effects in three wild congeners. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 289: 20211909. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1909
Van Wyk JIP, Lynch AMU and LS Adler. 2022. Manipulation of multiple floral traits demonstrates role in pollinator disease transmission. Ecology 104(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3866
Van Wyk JIP, Amponsah ERU, Ng WH and LS Adler. 2021. Big bees spread disease: body size mediates transmission of a bumble bee pathogen. Ecology 102(8): e03429. http://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3429
Adler LS, Irwin RE, McArt SH and RL Vannette. 2021. Floral traits affecting the transmission of beneficial and pathogenic pollinator-associated microbes. Current Opinion in Insect Science 44: 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2020.08.006
Superscripts: G = graduate student, P = postdoc, and U = undergrad mentored in the lab.