Jennifer Weber | Plant Biology | SIU

Jennifer Weber

Associate Professor and Biological Sciences Program Coordinator. Plant Ecology and Evolution

I am broadly interested in plant evolutionary ecology, and I currently study factors that drive trait variation at various spatial and temporal scales. Flowering plants provide an astounding template for studies of trait variation. For example, plant mating strategies have been the subject of active research in biology for over a century. Plant mating systems directly influence the fitness and potential adaptability of plant populations, making this area of research most critical with ongoing climate change. In general, the ability of species to persist or adapt with our changing climate remains an open-ended question and one of great importance. In my research program, I examine two primary, but overlapping topics: the evolution of plant mating system and population responses to climate change. Ultimately, I aim to facilitate our understanding of the consequences of climate change and improve our ability to predict the impacts of climate change on future plant populations.

Visit my laboratory website to learn more.

Education

M.S. 2007, East Carolina University
Ph.D. 2012, University of CA, Irvine

Selected Publications

1. Berg C^‡, J Brown, J Weber (2019). An examination of climate-driven flowering time shifts at large spatial scales over 153 years in a common weedy annual. American Journal of Botany 106(11): 1–9.
2. Ansaldi B^‡, J Weber, C Goodwillie, S Franks (2019). Low levels of inbreeding depression and enhanced fitness in cleistogamous progeny in the annual plant Triodanis perfoliata. Botany 97: 405–415.
3. Ansaldi B^‡, J Weber, S Franks (2018). The role of phenotypic plasticity and pollination environment in the cleistogamous mixed-mating breeding system of Triodanis perfoliata. Plant Biology 20(6): 1068–
4. Goodwillie C and J Weber (2018). The best of both worlds? A review of delayed selfing in flowering plants. Invited: American Journal of Botany 105(4): 641–655.
5. Franks S, N Genovese*, M Stockdale*, J Weber, B Ansaldi^‡, E van Wilgenburg (2018). The effects of artificial selection for rapid cycling in Brassica rapa on herbivore preference and performance. International Journal of Plant Sciences 179(3): 175–181.
6. Weber J (2017). The messenger matters: Pollinator functional group influences mating system dynamics. Molecular Ecology 26(16): 4113–4115.
7. Etterson J, H Schneider, N Soper Gorden, J Weber (2016). Evolutionary insights from studies of geographic variation: Contemporary variation and looking to the future. American Journal of Botany 103(1): 5–9.
8. Etterson J, S Franks, S Mazer, R Shaw, N Soper Gorden, H Schneider, J Weber, K Winkler, A Weis (2016). Project Baseline: An unprecedented resource to study plant evolution across space and time. American Journal of Botany 103(1): 164–173
9. Brown J, J Weber, D Alvarado-Serrano, MJ Hickerson, et al. 2015. Predicting the genetic consequences of future climate change: the power of coupling spatial demography, the coalescent and historical landscape changes.  Accepted: American Journal of Botany.
10. Weber J, L Vary, C Berg*, B Ansaldi, et al. 2015. How evolution occurs in a population: The pollination game. Accepted: American Biology Teacher.
11. Franks S, B Perez-Sweeney, M Strahl, A Nwogrodzki, J Weber, R Lalchan, K Jordan, A Litt. 2015. Variation in the flowering time orthologs BrFLC and BrSOC1 in a natural population of Brassica rapa. PeerJ 3:e1339.
12. Weller S, A Sakai, T Gray*, J Weber, et al. 2015. Variation in heterostylous breeding systems in neighboring populations of Oxalis alpina (Oxalidaceae).  Accepted: Plant Biology. DOI: 10.1111/plb.12340
13. Weller S, A Sakai, C Lucas*, J Weber, et al. 2015. Genetic basis of tristyly in tetraploid populations of Oxalis alpina (Oxalidaceae).  Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society: 179(2): 308-318.
14. Franks S, J Weber, S Aitken 2014. Evolutionary and plastic responses to climate change in terrestrial plant populations. Evolutionary Applications: 7(1): 123-139. 
15. Weber J, S Weller, A Sakai, O Tsyusko, et al. 2013. The role of inbreeding depression in the evolution of heterostyly. Evolution: 67(8): 2309-2322. 
16. Weber J, S Weller, A Sakai, LQ Nguyen*, et al. 2013. Breeding system evolution in Oxalis alpina: Asymmetrical expression of tristylous incompatibility. International Journal of Plant Sciences 174(2): 179-188. 
17. Weber J and C Goodwillie 2013. Variation in floral longevity in the genus Leptosiphon: Mating system consequences. Plant Biology 15(1): 220-225. 
18. Weber J, S Weller, A Sakai, A Nguyen*, et al. 2012. Purging of inbreeding depression within a population of Oxalis alpina (Oxalidaceae). American Journal of Botany 95(5): 923-932. 

*undergraduate author; ^‡ graduate author