The Jones Lab · Oregon State University · Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
The ecology and evolution
of forest diversity
We combine natural history observations, long term monitoring, experiments, and molecular tools to understand the mechanisms responsible for the origin and maintenance of biodiversity.
Our research
From genes to landscapes
We study how genetic variation and interactions among plants, microbes, and pollinators shape the diversity and dynamics of forests. By combining field experiments, long-term ecological data, and genomics, we connect processes within individuals and populations to patterns across communities and landscapes.
Tropical forest genomics
We connect genomic variation with decades of ecological data to reveal how selection, gene flow and species interactions shape tropical forests.
Plant–microbe interactions
We investigate how pathogens and microbial communities influence tree regeneration, population dynamics and the maintenance of biodiversity.
Plant–pollinator interactions
We study how floral traits, pollinator behavior and ecological context shape plant reproduction, gene flow and the evolution of biodiversity.
Genomic demography
We use genetic variation as a record of population history to predict how tree populations and forest communities change through time.
Featured initiative
BCI EDGE
The Barro Colorado Island Evolutionary Dynamics and Genomic Ecology project is building a genome-enabled forest observatory in Panama. By joining community-scale genomics with more than four decades of ecological monitoring, BCI EDGE will explore the eco-evolutionary forces shaping tropical forest diversity.
People & training
Field-based science, collaborative by design
Our lab brings together students, postdoctoral researchers and collaborators working across ecology, evolution, genomics and conservation. We conduct research in Pacific Northwest forests and across tropical ecosystems, with strong partnerships at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Explore the Jones Lab
Learn more about our current projects, publications, teaching and opportunities to work with us.
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