Susan Magnoli

I am a postdoc in the Bever/Schultz Lab broadly interested in evolutionary ecology and plant-microbe interactions, with the goal of better understanding population establishment in novel habitats. My dissertation research focused on rapid adaptation in recently restored plant populations, showing that populations can experience evolutionary changes in phenology and mutualism-related traits in only a few generations after establishment. My postdoc research focuses on the role of rhizobial composition in determining the success of legume species across grasslands of varying land-use histories. By examining legume-rhizobia interactions in this context I hope to determine how this mutualism influences the establishment of both desirable late-successional native legumes and weedy legumes that inhibit restoration success.