This research addresses the question of whether the ability of a plant to develop leaves with different morphology and physiology in response to different growth temperatures promotes survival and/or increased seed production. I will conduct experiments under natural conditions and in controlled environments to compare the anatomy, morphology, and physiology of leaves that develop at different temperatures. I will then determine whether plants that are better at changing leaf characteristics in response to temperature changes survive better and/or produce more seeds. The extent to which the ability to change leaf characteristics in response to temperature is a genetically determined trait that can be inherited will also be determined. The results of this research will contribute to our basic understanding of how organisms respond to changes in their environment. This understanding, in turn, may help in predicting the effects of natural disturbances and human impacts on the environment on plants and animals.
