Note: After 38 years at UW-Madison, Dr. Rick Lindroth has retired. A new website will be forthcoming… eventually. Meanwhile, peruse this website for historical information.
Our group explores how genetics, environment, and their interaction govern plant growth and defense traits, and influence trophic interactions. We study diverse topics, united by the common threads of ecology and evolutionary biology. In particular, we are interested in understanding the effects of global change on plant-insect interactions, as well as the consequences of plant genetic variation for the structure and function of communities and ecosystems. Aspen (Populus tremuloides) is our primary model system, although we also study other tree and herbaceous systems. Our work is conducted in a variety of locations, centered in the Great Lakes region and western U.S.A. The Lindroth lab is based at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the Department of Entomology, with affiliate membership in Integrative Biology, and Forestry & Wildlife Ecology.
