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Phone:(808) 956-8369
Email:botany@hawaii.edu
Fax:(808) 956-3923
Botany Department
University of Hawai`i at Manoa
3190 Maile Way, Room 101
Honolulu, HI 96822
Dept. Chair:
Dr. Tom Ranker
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Dr. Kim Bridges
Home > People > Emeritus, Staff & Researchers > Gabi Jakobs
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Gabi Jakobs Post Doctoral Researcher PhD 2004, Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland Contact Information 
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Affiliations
Personal Statement: My research interests primarily focus on the ecology of invasive species. To improve our understanding of plant invasion patterns, an ecosystem with strong environmental gradients may provide exceptional study sites. The Hawaiian Islands represent one of the few areas in the world where climatic gradients can be followed over an altitudinal range of more than 3000m, reaching from tropical into the alpine zone. While climatic characteristics change significantly with altitude, soil conditions remain quite similar over the entire range. The aim of my current project is to investigate the abundance and performance of introduced European weeds. A broad taxonomical and morphological variation may allow system-specific generalizations and preliminary studies have revealed the suitability of the study system. The main questions are: (1) Does the distribution of European weeds coincide with their distribution in the native range and does plant fitness vary across different environmental conditions? (2) What is the role of plasticity and genetic variation/adaptation in contributing to an invader's success? (3) Do the plants differ genetically from the native provenances? And if so -which mechanisms underlie these evolutionary changes? (4) How do species change over time after their introduction? A combination of field data and common garden experiments is a promising approach to answer these questions. Since most species have first been introduced to lowland areas, we expect that ecotypes only occurring in higher altitudes or in the tropical zones are most likely the result of post-invasion changes. To support this hypothesis of evolutionary changes towards the boundaries of the species' range, we are planning genetic analysis with microsatellites. Equivalent data have already been obtained along a similar altitudinal range in the Swiss Valais. Publications:
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