Barbour Lab

Scaling from genes to food-web resilience

To explore the links between an organism’s genes and food-web interactions, we have developed a model system consisting of multiple species of insect herbivores (aphids), parasitoids (wasps), and hyperparasitoids (4 trophic levels) that are naturally associated with the genetic model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The small size, fast generation times, and available genetic resources for the organisms in this model system, provide an unparalleled opportunity to experimentally study the ecology and evolution of food webs.

For example, we are using the genomic resources and gene-editing tools in Arabidopisis to study how plant genomic variation scales up to affect food-web resilience. We are also experimentally studying how coevolution in multiple interacting species influences food-web dynamics.

For example, we are combining lab experiments with geographic patterns in spruce budworm defoliation to study coevolution between spruce budworm and one of its main targets, white spruce (Picea glauca), a tree prized for its timber. We are also exploring the complex tree-caterpillar-parasitoid networks associated with spruce budworm to understand how caterpillars of deciduous trees indirectly impact spruce budworm through shared parasitoids.