We have launched a citizen science program connected to our funded Dimensions of Biodiversity project aimed at documenting the interactions of various insects with alfalfa plants. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a crop plant introduced to North America in the mid-1800s. It is planted throughout the western US, and has also escaped in many places giving rise to feral populations. We are interested in looking at the arthropod biodiversity supported by both cultivated and feral alfalfa. This provides a powerful opportunity to examine how a non-native plant affects community composition, alters biodiversity, and provides an impetus for the evolution of novel interactions between species.
You can learn more about this project by following the links below:
The Gompert Lab 