The approach is both experimental and theoretical. New activities on genetic founder effects and on self-incompatibility have been started this year. Research in this theme is directed towards the genetics and physiology of morphological and life-history traits, more in particular to the question how these traits are integrated into a coherent phenotype and react to environmental variation. The approach is both experimental and theoretical. The experimental approach concerns variation in flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana, salt adaptation in Plantago coronopus, and the role of genetic variability in die-back of Reed.
Theoretical work focuses on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in heterogeneous environments.
The approach involves both theoretical and experimental research. Project PVP 3.91.2. Our leading question corresponds well with the main question of the Department of Animal Population Biology. The adaptive significance of phenotypic plasticity, reproductive allocation, and sex ratio is studied in both departments. Our project PVP 2.93.6 on the phenotypic plasticity of Plantago coronopus in reaction to salt is carried out in cooperation with Dr. A. Huiskes of the Department of Littoral Vegetation of the NIOO-Centre of Estuarine and Coastal Ecology.