Kristen Hladun




I am currently a 2nd year MS student in the Plant Biology Program. I am interested in the ecology of plant-herbivore interactions. In the natural world, plants have to defend themselves in a complex environment, experiencing antagonism from several different sources and on several different tissues. My research examines the combined impacts of above and belowground herbivory on multispecies interactions, particularly how it affects floral traits, pollinators, and plant reproduction.


Research Projects
1. Deciphering the Influence of Above and Belowground Herbivory on Pollination and Plant Reproduction

The main objective of my thesis research involves three questions:

  1. How does above and belowground herbivory affect flower morphology?
  2. What are the effects of above and belowground herbivory on pollinators?
  3. What are the impacts of above and belowground herbivory on plant reproduction?

The major herbivore on the crop plant Cucurbita moschata (butternut squash) is Acalymma vittatum, the striped cucumber beetle. Plants were exposed to aboveground foliar herbivory by adult cucumber beetles as well as belowground root herbivory by cucumber beetle larvae.


2. Determining the Effects of Perimeter Trap Crop Pollen on Focal Crop Reproduction

Perimeter trap crops draw herbivores away from the focal crop and are used to reduce insecticide use. In the field, perimeter trap crops are planted around the focal crop, and pollinator visitation can easily cross between the two species. This project asks two questions:

  1. Can perimeter trap crop pollen interfere with focal crop pollination and reproduction?
  2. What is the minimum amount of pollen needed for full fruit set in C. moschata?

Cucurbita moschata plants were hand pollinated with different amounts of pure and mixed pollen from both C. moschata (focal crop) and Cucurbita maxima (perimeter trap crop).



3. Examining the Impacts of Artificial Herbivory on Cucurbita moschata – a preliminary study

Foliar herbivory has been found to affect plant fitness by altering traits such as floral morphology, which can change the dynamic between a plant and their pollinators. To determine the effects of leaf removal on floral morphology, I conducted a preliminary greenhouse study using Cucurbita moschata. The plants were subjected to an artificial herbivory treatment by mechanically removing leaf mass at an early developmental stage, then measuring male and female floral traits.


Favorites

Movie: Annie Hall
Band this year: Outkast
Activity: Cheering for Celtics basketball!
Book: On the Road, Jack Kerouac
Food: Sushi