Margaret Ronsheim
Associate Professor of Biology
- B.A. 1985 Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN. Phi Beta Kappa; College Honors
- 1987. Summer session at Mountain Lake Biological Station.
- Ph.D., 1986-1992 Department of Botany, Duke University.
Research Interests
Dr. Ronsheim's research interests focus on how the interactions between plants, pathogenic fungi, and mutualistic fungi may affect the evolution of plant reproduction and dispersal mechanisms. In particular, she is studying how the presence of mutualistic fungi (mycorrhizae) and a root pathogen may influence intraspecific interactions between plants, as well as testing for the presence of local adaptation to the fungal community.
She also works with students on a variety of other research projects, including examining the impact of deer on forest regeneration in the Northeast, studying the effect of lead on plant-fungal associations, and testing whether invasive shrubs affect the diversity of herbaceous plant species found in the understory.
Teaching Interests
Margaret Ronsheim joined the Vassar Faculty in 1992, and has taught courses in ecology (Biology 241), evolution (Biology 350), conservation biology (Biology 382), plant diversity (Biology 208), and genetics (Biology 238). She is an active faculty member in the Environmental Studies program, and has served as an adviser for independent majors and STS majors interested in environmental science.
Selected Publications
- Ronsheim, M.L. and S.E. Anderson*. 2001. Population-level specificity in the plant-mycorrhizae association alters intraspecific interactions among neighboring plants. Oecologia 128:77-84.
- Ronsheim, M.L. and J.D. Bever. 2000. Genetic variation and evolutionary trade-offs for sexual and asexual reproductive modes in Allium vineale (Liliaceae). American Journal of Botany 87(12):1769-1777.
- Ronsheim, M.L., S.E. Anderson*, and E.L. Krueger*. 1998. The effects of mycorrhizae and soil pathogens in intraspecific competition among asexual propagules of Allium vineale. American Journal of Botany 85(6):39. Abstract.
- Ronsheim, M.L. 1997. Distance dependent performance of asexual propagules in Allium vineale. American Journal of Botany 84(9):1279-1284.
- Ronsheim, M.L. 1996. Evidence against a frequency dependent advantage for sexual reproduction in Allium vineale. The American Naturalist 147(5):718-734.
* student author