Diane L. Marshall
Professor of Biology
Contents

Research Interests

General Field: Plant Population Biology

Specific interests: Plant reproductive ecology; the importance and mechanisms of sexual selection in plants; plant mating systems; plasticity, especially in reproductive characters

Current projects:

Can sexual selection produce genetic change in wild radish: We are performing an NSF-funded selection experiment on wild radish. We are asking whether a male mating character will respond to selection and whether there are correlated responses in other reproductive and vegetative characters. Preliminary data indicate that the selected character is responding and that there are correlated responses in pollen production.
Does variation in pollen load size affect the proportion of seeds sired by different pollen donors? Because my previous studies of nonrandom mating in wild radish have been done using large pollen loads, there is concern that the results might not be applicable to the field. Therefore we have begun varying pollen load size to ask whether seed paternity is non-random at a range of pollen load size. In our first experiment, we discovered that seed paternity differed among pollen donors, but did not differ among pollen load sizes ranging from about 40 to about 250 pollen grains per stigma.

Previous results from wild radish

When mixtures of pollen are applied to wild radish stigmas, seed paternity is nonrandom (Marshall and Ellstrand 1986, 1988, Marshall 1991, Marshall and Fuller 1994, Marshall 1998).

Nonrandom seed paternity can be highly consistent across maternal plants (Marshall 1998).

Maternal condition has an effect on seed paternity (Marshall and Ellstrand 1988).

Multiply sired fruits are filled to a larger size than singly sired fruits Marshall and Ellstrand 1986, 1988, Marshall and Fuller 1994).

Interference competition appears to occur between pollen grains of different donors on the stigmas of wild radish plants (Marshall et al 1996)

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Contact Information

Diane L. Marshall

Department of Biology

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131

marshall@unm.edu

505-277-1168

fax: 505-277-0304

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Courses taught

Bio 360 - General Botany

Provides broad coverage of botany, including plant structure and development, plant physiology, plant ecology, and plant diversity. The laboratory includes a major project that is a selection experiment using rapid cycling Brassica. For this project, students are required to plant, conduct, and write up a semester long experiment

Bio 467-567 - Evolutionary Plant Ecology

Course goals - To survey the major topics and literature of plant population and evolutionary ecology. To increase the students'abilities to analyze the topics and literature of the field.

Course design

a. Structure - the course is approximately 2/3 lecture and 1/3 discussion. The lectures are designed to survey topics, point out critical issues, and give all students a background in the field. The discussions provide an opportunity to read and analyze recent literature and developments in evolutionary plant ecology.

Assignments- Requirements and proportion of final grade are listed below.

a. Tests - There will be two tests during the semester. These will be take - home tests. A recent paper from the primary literature will be given to the students to evaluate in terms of the topics covered to that point in the course. Students will have one week to complete each assignment.

b. Paper - A 10-15 page paper that on an issue in evolutionary plant ecology will be due at the end of the course. Students will be expected to explore the primary literature on that topic, discover the major issues and comment on the progress that has been made in addressing those issues. The paper may take the form of a review article, a grant proposal or a manuscript on a student's data. The exact form of the paper will be worked out for each student. However, all papers must make substantial use of the recent, primary literature, all must be well thought out, and all papers must be well written.

c. Student presentations - Graduate students will be required to make a short oral presentation (15-20 min.) on the topic that they choose for their paper. These presentations should summarize the major issues contained in the topic.

d. Class participation - All students are expected to participate actively in the class. This means 1) attending all lectures and discussions, 2) participating in class discussions, and 3) taking a turn at leading class discussion.

Bio 468-568 - Plant Reproductive Ecology

Course Objectives: My goal is to share with students my interest in the field of plant reproductive ecology, to give students some experience with the literature and methodology of the field, to discuss controversies in the field, and to generate enthusiasm for research in plant ecology at UNM

Course Structure: 1/3 lecture, 1/3 discussion, 1/3 methodology

Grading:

a. Tests - 40% - There will be two tests during the semester. These will be take home tests. A recent paper from the primary literature will be given to the students to evaluate in terms of the topics covered to that point in the course. Students will have at least a week to complete each test.

b. Term Paper - 30% - A paper that reviews an issue in plant reproductive ecology. Students will be expected to explore the primary literature on that topic, discover the major issues and comment on the progress that has been made in addressing those issues. These papers will be about 15-20 pages long.

c. Student presentations- 15% - Students will be required to make a short oral presentation (about 15min) on the topic that they choose for their paper.

d. Class participation - 15% - All students are expected to participate actively in the class. This means 1) attending all lectures and discussion, 2) participating in class discussions, and 3) taking a turn at leading class discussion.

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Biographical Information

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Biological Sciences, The University of Texas, 1982

M.S., Biological Sciences, Northwestern University, 1977

B.A., Biological Sciences, Northwestern University, 1976

POSITIONS HELD

Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico, 1997-

Associate Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico, 1991-1997

Assistant Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico, 1985-1991

Postdoctoral Research Scientist, University of California, Riverside, 1983-85

Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, Earlham College, 1982-83

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Graduate Students

Current students

Carla Morita, M.S. "Responses of vegetative characters to selection on a reproductive character in wild radish"

Jon-Paul Oliva, M.S. "Varying the pollen competitive regime by varying pollen load size: effects on seed paternity and vegetative growth"

Jerusha Reynolds, Ph.D. "Effects of fragmentation on the population genetic structure of plants"

Former students

Anna Sher, Ph.D. 1998. "Competition between native cottonwood and invasive salt cedar". Current position, Fullbright Postdoctoral Fellow with Deborah Goldberg, Israel.

Robert Cabin, Ph.D. 1995. "Genetic and spatial structure of above and below ground populations of Lesquerella fendleri ". Current position, Forest Service Research Scientist, Hilo, Hawaii.

Toby Bennett, M.S. 1995. "Responses of male and female reproductive traits to environmental variation in Lesquerella fendleri". Current position, Ph.D. student in Science Education at the University of Missouri.

Diana Oliveras, Ph.D. 1991. "Sexual selection in fruit flies". Current position, Instructor, residential program in Environmental Biology, University of Colorado.

Ollar Fuller, Ph.D. 1990. "Interactions between yucca and yucca moths". Current position.

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Selected Publications

Marshall, D.L. and Ellstrand, N.C. 1986. Sexual selection in Raphanus sativus: experimental data on non-random fertilization, maternal choice and consequences of multiple paternity. Am. Nat. 127:446-461.

Ellstrand, N.C. and Marshall, D.L. 1986. Patterns of multiple paternity in populations of Raphanus sativus. Evolution 40:837-842.

Marshall, D.L. and Ellstrand, N.C. 1988. Effective mate choice in wild radish: evidence for selective seed abortion and its mechanism. Am. Nat. 131:739-756.

Marshall, D.L. 1988. Post pollination effects on seed paternity: Mechanisms other than microgametophyte competition operate in wild radish. Evolution 42:1256-1266.

Marshall, D.L. 1989. Integration of response to defoliation within plants of two species of Sesbania. Functional Ecology 3:207-214.

Marshall, D.L. and Oliveras, D.M. 1990. Is regulation of mating within branches possible in wild radish, Raphanus sativus. Functional Ecology 4:619-627.

Marshall, D.L. 1991. Non-random mating in wild radish: variation in pollen donor success and the effects of multiple paternity in one- to six-donor crosses. American Journal of Botany 78:1404-1418.

Marshall, D.L. and Folsom, M.W. 1991. Mate choice in plants: an anatomical to population perspective. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 22:37-63.

Karron, J.D. and Marshall, D.L. 1993. Effects of environmental variation on fitness of singly and multiply sired progenies of Raphanus sativus (Brassicaceae). American Journal of Botany 80:1407-1412.

Marshall, D.L. and Fuller, O.S. 1994. Does nonrandom mating among wild radish plants occur in the field as well as in the greenhouse? American Journal of Botany 81: 439-445.

Mitchell, R.J. and Marshall, D.L. 1995. Effects of pollination method on paternal success in Lesquerella fendleri. American Journal of Botany 82:462-467.

Marshall, D.L., Folsom, M.W., Hatfield, C. and Bennett, T. 1996. Does interference competition occur among pollen grains of wild radish? Evolution 50:1842-1848.

Roll, J. Mitchell, R.J., and Marshall, D.L. 1997. Reproductive success increases with local density of conspecifics in the desert mustard, Lesquerella fendleri. Conservation Biology 11:738-746.

Mitchell, R.J. and Marshall, D.L. 1998. Non-random mating and sexual selection in a desert mustard: an experimental approach. American Journal of Botany 85:48-55.

Cabin, R.J., Mitchell, R.J., and Marshall, D.L. 1998. Do surface plant and soil seed bank populations differ genetically? A multipopulation study of the desert mustard Lesquerella fendleri (Brassicaceae). American Journal of Botany 85:1098-1109.

Marshall, D.L. 1998. Pollen donor performance can be consistent across maternal plants in wild radish: a necessary condition for the action of sexual selection. American Journal of Botany 85:1389-1397.

PAPERS IN PRESS

Cabin, R. J. and Marshall, D.L. The demographic role of soil seed banks I: Spatial and temporal comparisons of below and above-ground populations of the desert mustard Lesquerella fendleri. Journal of Ecology.

Cabin, R.J., Marshall, D.L., and Mitchell, R.J. The demographic role of soil seed banks II: investigations of the fate of experimental seeds of the desert mustard Lesquerella fendleri. Journal of Ecology.

Sher, A.A. and Marshall, D.L. Is native Populus deltiodes competitive against invasive Tamarix ramosissima? A case in support of reinstating flooding disturbance.

Marshall, D.L., Avritt, J.J., Shaner, M., and Saunders, R.L. Effects of pollen load size and composition on nonrandom mating in wild radish, Raphanus sativus (Brassicaceae). American Journal of Botany.

Marshall, D.L. and Diggle, P. Mechanisms of differential pollen donor success in wild radish. American Journal of Botany.

PAPERS SUBMITTED

Sher, A.A., Marshall, D.L., and Taylor, J.P.. Spatial partitioning within southwestern floodplains: Patterns of establishment of native Populus and Salix in the presence of invasive, non-native Tamarix. Submitted to Oecologia.

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Last Revised: March 2, 2000