M. L. Forister

Temporal occupancy distributions reveal multifaceted and heterogeneous effects of climatic variation on montane butterflies

This study uses a hierarchical Bayesian framework to analyze climate effects on butterfly phenology across elevational gradients, finding varied impacts of temperature and precipitation on flight period timing and duration.

Intra and interspecific diversity in a tropical plant clade alter herbivory and ecosystem resilience

The paper examines how changes in plant diversity within and between species affect herbivory and ecosystem resilience in tropical systems.

Does a history of co-occurrence predict plant performance, community productivity, or invasion resistance?

The paper tests if a history of co-occurrence affects plant performance, community productivity, or invasion resistance in semi-arid plant communities, finding mixed effects with some species benefiting from allopatric or sympatric neighbors.

Assessing risk for butterflies in the context of climate change, demographic uncertainty, and heterogenous data sources

The paper assesses butterfly species risk in western US states using heterogeneous data, finding high risk in certain families and highlighting species with broad ranges needing conservation attention.

Milkweed plants bought at nurseries may expose monarch caterpillars to harmful pesticide residues

This study screens milkweed plants bought at US nurseries for pesticide residues, finding 61 pesticides in 235 samples, with 38% at harmful concentrations for monarch caterpillars.

In search of an honest butterfly: sexually selected wing coloration and reproductive traits from wild populations of the cabbage white butterfly

The paper examines the relationship between wing coloration and reproductive traits in cabbage white butterflies from wild populations, finding a weak positive association between color and testes size.

A suite of rare microbes interacts with a dominant, heritable, fungal endophyte to influence plant trait expression

The paper manipulates rare and dominant endophytes in plants to show that rare endophytes affect host traits only in the absence of a dominant fungal endophyte, and that interactions between endophytes and pathogens can offset negative effects.

Evidence for both phylogenetic conservatism and lability in the evolution of secondary chemistry in a tropical angiosperm radiation

The paper examines the evolution of secondary chemistry in Radula, finding both phylogenetic conservatism and lability in metabolite classes.

Pesticide contamination of milkweeds across the agricultural, urban, and open spaces of low elevation Northern California

This study finds widespread pesticide contamination in milkweed plants across different land use types in California, with many pesticides detected at concentrations potentially harmful to monarch butterflies.

Insects and recent climate change

This paper examines how insects are responding to recent climate change and highlights the potential severity of its impacts compared to land use changes, using butterflies in Northern California as a case study.

Caterpillars on a phytochemical landscape: the case of alfalfa and the Melissa blue butterfly

The paper quantifies how phytochemical variation in alfalfa affects Melissa blue butterfly caterpillar performance, identifying specific compounds with divergent effects.

Loss of dominant caterpillar genera in a protected tropical forest

The paper reports a decline in caterpillar diversity and density in a tropical forest over 22 years, linked to climate change and weather anomalies, with implications for ecosystem services and agriculture.

Strong Patterns of Intraspecific Variation and Local Adaptation in Great Basin Plants Revealed Through a Review of 75 Years of Experiments

This study reviews 75 years of experiments on Great Basin plants to show widespread local adaptation and trait-environment associations across populations.

The predictability of genomic changes underlying a recent host shift in Melissa blue butterflies

This study examines the predictability of genomic changes during a recent host shift in Melissa blue butterflies, finding partial predictability from lab experiments but limited ability to predict evolutionary direction.

Impacts of a millennium drought on butterfly faunal dynamics

This study examines how a millennium drought affected butterfly populations in northern California, showing differential impacts at low and high elevations based on phenological shifts and flight season length.