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I am a plant population biologist interested in the ecological processes that lead to evolutionary change in natural systems. In the broadest sense, my research goals are to combine field observations and experiments (say, on pollinator movements and pollen transport) with laboratory or greenhouse studies of particular molecular or morphological traits (genetic markers, floral characteristics, etc.). Over the last seven years or so, my work has concentrated heavily on identifying molecular markers that can be used to study genetic variation and how it is distributed among populations of plants in patchy environments. General ecological topics that pique my interest include questions related to demography, natural selection, pollination biology, conservation, and ecological restoration, although I rarely get to pursue many of those in any depth. I also spend a fair amount of time thinking about how best to teach science in general, and ecology and evolution in particular, in the environment of a small, liberal arts college. You can jump to more information on my current research below.

Here’s some additional information about me:

Education

• Ph.D. in Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA. December 1995. My dissertation research was on floral nectar production, pollinator visitation, and natural selection in Epilobium canum (Onagraceae), a hummingbird-pollinated shrub.
• M.S. in Soil Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. June 1986. My thesis work examined long-term changes in soil chemistry with forest succession in a sequence of experimentally burned forest patches at the University of Michigan Biological Station in northern lower Michigan.
• B.A. with majors in Chemistry and European History, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. December 1983. Best part of my college experience: spending my Junior year abroad at Ludwig-Maximillians Universitat, Munich, Germany.

Positions Held

• Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, September 1998 to present. Teaching responsibilities include: Introduction to Ecology, Population Ecology, Conservation Biology, Advanced Evolution, Advanced Genetics: Race and Racism, and a core science class called Human Ecology.
• Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA. Research Associate, Molecular Biology Laboratory Coordinator, July, 1997-August 1998.Post-doctoral research in molecular genetics of endangered plants.
• Pomona College, Claremont, CA. Visiting Lecturer and Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, 1996-1997. Teaching responsibilities included: Terrestrial Ecology, Evolution, Conservation Biology, and Introductory Biology.

Research Activity

• Evolutionary diversification and geographic spread of vernal pool specialists in the genus Navarretia. I am using DNA sequences from regions in the chloroplast genome to investigate genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships among a recently evolved group of plants endemic to temporary wetlands known as vernal pools. Several teams of students have gathered data from populations in the Columbia Plateau of Eastern Washington, and future plans include expanding the study to include populations throughout the western U.S., and adding additional genomic regions to be sequenced. More details below.
• Molecular genetics of Hawaiian silverswords (Argiroxyphium sandwichensi, A. kauense, and Dubautia spp.). Investigation of microsatellite variation in a group of endangered plant species endemic to the Hawaiian islands. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA. 1997-1998
• Effects of temperature variation on seed germination in coastal sage scrub shrubs. Research with undergraduate students on the environmental factors that may be contributing to invasion of endangered plant communities by exotic grasses. Pomona College, Claremont, CA 1996-1997.
• Dissertation research: Field and greenhouse experiments on phenotypic and genetic variation in floral nectar production; field observations of pollinator behavior; computer modeling of interactions among nectar production, standing crops, and pollinator behavior. UC Davis. 1991-1995.
• Field Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Baseline contamination study of tundra ponds and other coastal plain habitats. Summer 1988.
• M.S. thesis research. "Long-term changes in soil chemistry with forest succession." Cornell University and University of Michigan Biological Station.

Current research

My current research is aimed at measuring genetic diversity in natural populations of vernal pool plants in Eastern Washington. Vernal pools are small temporary wetlands -- shallow depressions that fill with water in the spring and become completely dry by the early summer. The animals and plants that live in vernal pools have evolved life cycles and other adaptations that allow them to survive this drastic change in conditions. As a result, many of the plants and animals that live in vernal pools are found only in vernal pools.

Vernal pools also tend to occur in "clusters", with a small number of pools close together (a few tens of meters apart), then tens to hundreds of kilometers to the next cluster. Neither pollen nor seeds of vernal pool plants are likely to move great distances (although this is still mostly unknown), so there is the potential for a great deal of genetic differentiation both within and among these clusters of pools. As a result, vernal pools may contribute significantly to the biological diversity of the regions in which they occur, with different pools harboring different collections of alleles.

I'm looking at one particular group in the genus Navarretia, which includes about a dozen species and subspecies in vernal pools and other ephemeral wetlands throughout the western United States. Phylogenetic studies indicate that these taxa are closely related, that they diversified relatively recently, and that they probably evolved from a widespread upland species, Navarretia intertexta, which is found throughout the West. Currently, my students and I are focusing on local members of the group, trying to measure genetic diversity within and among a number of different pools in Eastern Washington.

Having explored a number of molecular markers for this work (including allozymes and RAPD -- Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA), my students and I have recently switched to direct sequencing of regions of the chloroplast genome. Using published 'universal' primers, we use the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to amplify non-coding regions between genes in the chloroplast DNA. We then sequence these regions using an automated DNA sequencer the department purchased in May, 2005. By comparing homologous sequences in a number of individuals from a number of populations, we can estimate the amount of genetic variation in these populations, how that variation is distributed among populations, and the evolutionary histories of the populations.

My research has two goals. Long-term, I am interested in the evolutionary history of this group of vernal pool specialists, and would like to know the roles that isolation, natural selection, and hybridization played in its radiation. On a more immediate note, vernal pools and the plants and animals they contain are threatened throughout the western U.S., because they tend to occur in areas that are desirable for agricultural use or residential development. In fact, the vast majority of naturally occurring pools have probably already been lost. Rational decisions on protecting remaining vernal pools will depend on a better knowledge of their contribution to the biological diversity of the regions in which they occur.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Boose, D.L., B.R. Harmeling, and R.T. Turcotte. 2005. Genetic variation in Eastern Washington populations of Navarretia leucocephala (Polemoniaceae), a vernal pool endemic. Madro–o 52(2):99-106.
• Friar, E.A., D.L. Boose, T. LaDoux, E.H. Roalson, and R.H. Robichaux, 2001. Population structure in the endangered Mauna Loa Silversword, Argyroxiphium kauense (Asteraceae) and its bearing on reintroduction. Molecular Ecology, in press.
• Boose, D.L. 1997. Sources of variation in floral nectar production rate in Epilobium canum (Onagraceae) : implications for the operation of natural selection. Oecologia 110:493-500.

Other Fun Stuff I’ve Done During My Life

I have two adorable, bright, challenging, exhausting, exhilarating kids: Eric (born in 1999), and Rachel (born in 2001).

I was a sea kayak guide and instructor while I was a graduate student at UC Davis, and spent many wonderful days paddling in Tomales Bay and Monterey Bay on the California coast, and on a weeklong trip to Bahia de Los Angeles on the eastern side of Baja California, Mexico.

Also as a graduate student, I spent three months in the field in Costa Rica studying tropical ecology with the Organization for Tropical Studies. I returned a year later to explore a possible dissertation research project and spent three months living in the mountain community of Monteverde and working in the cloud forest.