Plant evolution in your own backyard
Biology professor Dr. Emily Austen examines the evolution and ecology of NB plants
You could expect Dr. Emily Austen has a green thumb. The Mount Allison University biology professor has made her love for plants and the environment a life-long career as an evolutionary ecologist.
“I am fascinated by the lives of plants and their unique characteristics and ways of adapting,” she says. “Learning how different species of plants shape strategies to find mates, fend-off enemies and cope with changing conditions, it’s all so interesting. Especially when you consider most plants do this as hermaphroditic, immobile, and modular organisms.”
Austen teaches in the biology department and runs an extensive research program — both in the field and in the lab — throughout the summer months. She recently received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to help support her research over a five-year period.
“We will be looking at two plants that are found in New Brunswick, the spurred gentian (Halenia deflexa), and Lysimachia terrestris, also known as swamp candles,” explains Austen. “Through field work observations, my students and I are hoping to collect data about variations in the flowers’ shapes, how they reproduce, and the role different kinds of pollinators can play in the plant’s life and reproduction cycles.”
While many people usually think of honey bees when it comes to pollination, Austen says there are many kinds of bee and insect species who assist in this process. Her lab is hoping to find out more about the impact plant variations, such as petal size and colour, can play in determining who the pollinators are for different plant species.
Along with her research program, Austen also teaches courses focused on plant biology. This term she is teaching a class in genetics and evolution — mandatory for all biology students — as well as a course on native flora.
“Genetics and evolution are part of our everyday lives, in the news and socially. Things like ancestry DNA testing kits are regular conversation topics,” says Austen. “The goals of this course are to educate students on these topics and encourage them to think critically about information they may be presented with on them.”
Austen’s class in native flora will give students the opportunity to learn about plant species in New Brunswick, thanks to sample collecting done by Austen over this past summer. The class will also welcome a series of guest speakers to discuss the different ways people use plants. Confirmed speakers include a local restaurant owner and gardener, an Indigenous elder, a professional botanist, and a nursery owner.
“I think it’s important to bring different perspectives into a class like this one,” says Austen. “We all use plants in different ways. It’s interesting to learn how individuals in these different areas use plants.”
Field shot of Dr. Austen taken by Erin Penney
Swamp candles (Lysimachia terrestris), yellow flowers, taken by Donald Cameron
