Derek Denney receives award from the Botanical Society of America

Congratulations to Derek Denney, ad PhD candidate in the Anderson Lab, for receiving a Bill Dahl Graduate Student Research Award from the Botanical Society of America!  Derek received funding to study the effects of changing carbon dioxide (CO₂) and temperatures on the plant species Boechera stricta, also known as Drummond’s rockcress. 

B. stricta, is a white or pink flowering plant that is found in a wide range of habitats across North America and is often used as a model for climate change studies. Derek will use growth chamber experiments with increased temperatures and CO₂ levels to determine their effects on plant survival and fitness (number of fruits and fruit size). Current research shows that atmospheric CO₂ has significantly increased over the last 50+ years. This study will provide an idea of how B. stricta in the field may respond in a future with increased temperatures and atmospheric CO₂ levels.