{"id":90,"date":"2017-03-31T15:18:55","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T20:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/?page_id=90"},"modified":"2020-01-02T23:27:28","modified_gmt":"2020-01-03T05:27:28","slug":"milkweed-adaptation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/milkweed-adaptation\/","title":{"rendered":"Milkweed Adaptation Research"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/marenweb.com\"><strong>Milkweed Adaptation <\/strong><strong>Research and Education Network\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em>Contact<\/em>: Professor Emily Mohl, mohl@stolaf.edu , Regents Hall of Natural Science 432.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Visit <a href=\"http:\/\/marenweb.com\">marenweb.com<\/a> to learn more about this project.<\/li>\n<li>We expect to have funding to hire students to help with this research during the semester and during CURI in the summer in 2020-2022.\u00a0 Check the student work website and CURI for details.<\/li>\n<li>In January 2020, we need lots of help preparing milkweed seeds for study. You are invited to learn more about the project and help out in RNS 423 on MWF 2-4:15.\u00a0 Drop in as you are able.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-scaled.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-166 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-150x113.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/Monarchs-roosting-at-Arb-400x300.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Have you ever seen monarchs roosting in the trees as they migrate to Mexico?\u00a0 \u00a0 This moving phenomenon may be at risk.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/MOnarch-decline-figure.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-169 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/MOnarch-decline-figure-300x163.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/MOnarch-decline-figure-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/MOnarch-decline-figure-1024x557.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/MOnarch-decline-figure-150x82.jpg 150w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/MOnarch-decline-figure-768x418.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/MOnarch-decline-figure-500x272.jpg 500w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2020\/01\/MOnarch-decline-figure.jpg 1498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Monarch populations in Mexico have been declining for decades.\u00a0 While scientists debate why, many groups across the country are mobilizing to plant milkweed.\u00a0 Why?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">M<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/2\/2c\/Monarch_butterfly_larvae_on_common_milkweed_lea.jpg\" width=\"218\" height=\"165\" \/>onarch caterpillars only eat one kind of plant\u2013milkweed. What is important to understand about this plant as we aim to restore habitat for monarchs?\u00a0 This is the focus of our research.<\/p>\n<h1>Research<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This project investigates local adaptation in common milkweed, <em>Asclepias syriaca, <\/em>one of the most important food sources for monarchs. In particular, we ask whether local populations of milkweeds outperform nonlocal populations. \u00a0Alternatively, certain\u00a0populations may outperform other populations everywhere. \u00a0Understanding these patterns should help us make better decisions about how to manage and plant milkweed populations.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/4\/4c\/Asclepias_syriaca_-_Common_Milkweed.jpg\" width=\"199\" height=\"261\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We are engaging educators and students in a replicated, distributed investigation of local adaptation.\u00a0 Participating institutions are distributed across the range of common milkweed.<\/p>\n<p>Participants collected seeds from\u00a0<em><strong>naturally occurring<\/strong><\/em> local populations of <em>Asclepias syriaca<\/em>\u00a0(common milkweed) in the fall of 2017, and then they established experimental plots with about 20 milkweed plants, some from their local area, and some from distant populations. For the next years, they will\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2017\/03\/DRAFT-Milkweed-Measurement-Protocol.pdf\">measure<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2017\/03\/DRAFT-Data-Entry-Protocol.pdf\">record\u00a0<\/a>data on milkweed growth and herbivory annually in the spring and fall (and optionally during the summer) to determine whether local populations perform better in general.<\/p>\n<p>Now, we are expanding the project to plant many seeds in larger gardens at three locations so that we can try to identify which factors are contributing to milkweed adaptation.\u00a0 Our results should help us predict the impacts of moving milkweed to new locations.<\/p>\n<p>One of the unique aspects of the project is that all participants can access datasets for use in their classes and contribute to publications.<\/p>\n<p>The map below shows the distribution of current participants.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2018\/12\/Site-Map-2018-RT.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-133\" src=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2018\/12\/Site-Map-2018-RT-300x141.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"141\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2018\/12\/Site-Map-2018-RT-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2018\/12\/Site-Map-2018-RT-150x71.png 150w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2018\/12\/Site-Map-2018-RT-768x361.png 768w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2018\/12\/Site-Map-2018-RT-500x235.png 500w, https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/611\/2018\/12\/Site-Map-2018-RT.png 823w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Teaching<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We have also developed a series of lesson plans to motivate the project and support student learning in connection with the Next Generation Science Standards. \u00a0They are shared with project participants and available to others on request.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lesson<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Theme<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Activities<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Monarchs and their Decline<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduction to monarch life cycle and population decline<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brainstorming, role playing<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Monarch Population Decline Debate<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multiple hypotheses\u00a0for population decline <\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read research article, guided debate <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Milkweed<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Milkweed traits and measurements<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stations to learn about milkweed, discuss the lab<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Evolutionary Principles<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn\/review evolutionary processes, connect to predictions about milkweed adaptation<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guided worksheet with video, vocab review, identify questions\/predictions for lab<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Data Analysis<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using data to answer questions\/test predictions<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data entry, visualize and interpret data<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Applying Local Adaptation<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apply learning: is it risky to plant non-local milkweed? <\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evaluate risks, scientific argumentation<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Citizen Science<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Share arguments and evidence with the community<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data jam<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h1><strong>Expanding<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>We are expanding the project to include opportunities for collecting observational data.\u00a0 Some of our main findings indicate that phenology is important for understanding milkweed adaptation, so we&#8217;ve developed new protocols that participants can use to measure and record the timing of milkweed growth and interactions at sites around the country.\u00a0 If you&#8217;d like to be a part of this project, please visit <a href=\"http:\/\/marenweb.com\">marenweb.com<\/a> to learn more!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Milkweed Adaptation Research and Education Network\u00a0 Contact: Professor Emily Mohl, mohl@stolaf.edu , Regents Hall of Natural Science 432.\u00a0 Visit marenweb.com to learn more about this project. We expect to have funding to hire students to help with this research during &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/milkweed-adaptation\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1340,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-90","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/90","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/90\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":171,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/90\/revisions\/171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/mohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}