Amy Trowbridge

Education

• Ph.D. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology – University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
• B.S. Integrative Biology – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL

Research Interests

Research in my lab focuses on understanding the interactive effects of environmental change and biotic agents in shaping plant defensive strategies and the consequences for ecosystem function, outbreak events, and regional climate. Many of our questions center around identifying how various climate factors shift a plant’s metabolic priorities and alter tree resistance to pests and pathogens. To this end, our research takes an interdisciplinary approach to elucidate these mechanisms from the molecular to the ecosystem scale and employs a range of analytical techniques including stable isotopes to “-omic” tools to track climate-induced changes in plant gene expression and carbon allocation to chemical defenses. We integrate field and lab-based experiments to disentangle the complex feedback mechanisms involved in plant chemical defense under various stresses and to assess the physiological and ecological responses of insects to chemical variation. Other specific research topics of interest in my lab include: i) quantifying drought-induced shifts in primary and secondary metabolism and their effects on the associated insect community and bark beetle success ii) assessing potential trade-offs between tree traits and defense metrics under environmental stress and different management practices, iii) understanding the impacts of competition and the soil microbiome on plant chemical defense against insects.