Plant Reproductive Ecology
The area of my research focuses on topics such as pollination ecology and the production of flowers, seeds, and fruits. I’ve worked on a species of violet (Viola pedata, birdfoot violet), populations of which include two dramatically different flower-color phenotypes. I’m especially interested in how such a polymorphism is maintained, particularly since this species is insect pollinated. I’ve also worked with species having other reproductive polymorphisms; for example, those species having separate male and female plants. Recently, my students and I have begun working on the pollination and reproductive ecology of blue sage (Salvia azurea), a striking plant of the Midwest often planted in gardens.
Garden Ecology
In recent years, I’ve become more and more interested in gardens as habitats and sites for ecological research. I have co-authored a book on garden ecology (Carroll, S.B. and S.D. Salt. 2004. Ecology for Gardeners. Timber Press, Portland, OR), and I’m doing more and more of my work in gardens. Some of this work is horticultural and some is ecological, such as the blue sage project described above.