Paul Wilson, Professor
Email: paul.wilson@csun.edu
Office: Chaparral Hall 5317
Lab: Chaparral Hall 5309
Paper mail: Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330-8303
Phone: 818-677-2937
Fax: 818-677-2034
Education
Humboldt State University, B.S., Botany
Stony Brook University, Ph.D., Ecology and Evolution
Harvard University, Post-doctoral Researcher
I and my students are interested in evolutionary dynamics. Students have worked on a wide variety of topics, including many of conservation interest. Typically a major part of every thesis is done in the field, and my students often become excellent naturalists; serious lab work would have to be supervised by a collaborator. The on-going research programs that I maintain are concerned with floral evolution in penstemons and the macroevolution of California's bryophyte flora. I tend to work very closely with students especially on the design and analysis of their studies, although every student is different and I have no strict receipe for advising.
Technical Publications (*student)
Wilson P, Jordan, E*. 2009. Hybrid intermediacy between pollination syndromes in Penstemon, and the role of nectar in affecting hummingbird visitation. Botany 87: 272-282.
Wilson P. 2009. Striking example of avatars evolving together among local communities. New Phytologist 182: 293-295.
Sagar T*, Wilson P. 2009. Niches of common bryophytes in a semi-arid landscape. Bryologist 112: 30-41.
Thomson JD, Wilson P. 2008. Explaining evolutionary shifts between bee and hummingbird pollination: Convergence, divergence, and directionality. International Journal of Plant Sciences 169: 23-38.
Wilson P, Wolfe AD, Armbruster WS, Thomson JD. 2007. Constrained lability in floral evolution: counting convergent origins of hummingbird pollination in Penstemon and Keckiella. New Phytologist 176: 883-890.
Yip, KL, Wilson P, Toren D, Kellman KM. 2007. Pleuridium mexicanum (Ditrichaceae) new to the U.S.A. from California. Bryologist 110: 510-513.
Sagar T*, Wilson P. 2007. Bryophytes of the Santa Monica Mountains. Pp. 63-92 in D. A. Knapp (ed.) Flora and ecology of the Santa Monica Mountains. Southern California Botanists special publication 4, Fullerton, CA.
Lancaster J*, Wilson P, Espinoza RE. 2006. Physiological benefits as precursors of sociality: Why banded geckos band. Animal Behavior 72: 199-207.
Castellanos MC*, Wilson P, Keller S*, Wolfe A, Thomson JD. 2006. Anther evolution: pollen presentation strategies when pollinators differ. American Naturalist 167: 288-296+10 pages of Appendix.
Kerby JL*, Riley SPD, Katz LB, Wilson P. 2005. Barriers and flow as limiting factors in the spread of an invasive crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in southern California streams. Biological Conservation 126: 402-409.
Fenster C, Armbruster S, Wilson P, Dudash M, Thomson JD. 2004. Pollination syndromes and floral specialization. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 35: 375-403.
Kimball S*, Wilson P, Crowther J. 2004. Local ecology and geographic ranges of plants in the Bishop Creek watershed of the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Journal of Biogeography 31: 1637-1657.
Castellanos MC*, Wilson P, Thomson JD. 2004. 'Anti-bee' and 'pro-bird' changes during the evolution of hummingbird pollination in Penstemon flowers. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 17: 876-885
Wilson P, Castellanos MC†, Wolfe A, Thomson JD. 2006. Shifts between bee- and bird-pollination among penstemons. Pp. 47-68 in NM Waser and J Ollerton (eds.) Plant-pollinator interactions: from specialization to generalization. University of Chicago Press.
Wilson P, Castellanos MC*, Hogue JN, Thomson JD, Armbruster WS. 2004. A multivariate search for pollination syndromes among penstemons. Oikos 104: 345-361.
Motzkin G, Foster D, Allen A, Donohue K, Wilson P. 2004. Forest landscape patterns, structure, and composition. Pp. 171-188 in DR Foster and JD Aber (eds.) Forests in time: the environmental consequences of 1,000 years of change in New England. Yale University Press, New Haven.
Castellanos MC*, Wilson P, Thomson JD. 2003. Pollen transfer by hummingbirds and bumblebees, and the divergence of pollination mode in Penstemon. Evolution 57: 2742-2752.
Castellanos MC*, Wilson P, Thomson JD. 2002. Dynamic replenishment of nectar in Penstemon (Scrophulariaceae). American Journal of Botany 89:111-118.
Wilson P, Valenzuela M*. 2002. Three naturally occurring Penstemon hybrids. Western North American Naturalist 62: 25-31.
Chari J*, Wilson P. 2001. Factors limiting hybridization between Penstemon spectabilis and Penstemon centranthifolius (Scrophulariaceae). Canadian Journal of Botany 79: 1439-1448.
Thomson J, Wilson P, Valenzuela M*, Malzone M*. 2000. Pollen presentation and pollinator syndromes, with special reference to Penstemon. Plant Species Biology 15: 11-29.
Dilley J*, Wilson P, Mesler MR. 2000. The radiation of Calochortus: Generalist flowers moving through a mosaic of potential pollinators. Oikos 89: 209-222.
Motzkin G, Wilson P, Foster DR, Allen A. 1999. Vegetation patterns in heterogeneous landscapes: the importance of history and environment. Journal of Vegetation Science 10: 903-920.
Wilson P, Stine M. 1996. Floral constancy in bumble bees: handling efficiency or perceptual conditioning? Oecologia 106: 493-499.
Wilson P, Buonopane M, Allison T. 1996. Reproductive biology of the monoecious clonal shrub Taxus canadensis. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 123: 7-15.
Wilson P, Thomson JD. 1996. How do flowers diverge? Pp. 88-111 in D. Lloyd and S. C. H. Barrett (eds.). Floral biology. Chapman & Hall, New York.
Wilson P. 1995. Selection for pollination success and the mechanical fit of Impatiens flowers around bumble bee bodies. Biolological Journal of the Linnean Society 55: 355-383.
Wilson P. 1995. Pollination in Drosera tracyi : selection is strongest when resources are intermediate. Evolutionary Ecology 9:382-396.
Wilson P. 1994. The east-facing flowers of Drosera tracyi. American Midland Naturalist 131: 366-369.
Wilson P, Thomson JD, Stanton ML, Rigney LP. 1994. Beyond floral Batemania: gender biases in selection for pollination success. American Naturalist 143: 283-296.
Wilson P. 1992. On inferring hybridity from morphological intermediacy. Taxon 41: 11-23.
Mesler MR, Cole J, Wilson P. 1991. Natural hybridization in western gooseberries (Ribes subgenus Grossularia: Grossulariaceae). Madroño 38: 115-129.
Wilson P, Thomson JD. 1991. Heterogeneity among floral visitors leads to discordance between removal and deposition of pollen. Ecology 72: 1503-1507.
Gurevitch J, Wilson P, Teese P, Stone JL, Stoutenburgh RH. 1990. Competition among old-field perennials at different levels of soil fertility and available space. J. Ecol. 78: 727-744.
Wilson P, Norris DH. 1989. Pseudoleskeella in North America and Europe. The Bryologist 92: 387-396.
Writings of a much lighter sort
Kimball S, Wilson P. 2009. The insects that visit penstemon flowers. Bulletin of the American Penstemon Society 68: 20-27+centerfold.
Kimball S, Wilson P. May 2005. Local habitat is related to the broader geographic ranges of plants. Sierra Nature Notes 5. www.yosemite.org/naturenotes
Other writings by my students
Dorsey A.* 2007. Dudley, with special reference to those growing in the Santa Monica Mountains. Pp. 93-107 in D. A. Knapp (ed.) Flora and ecology of the Santa Monica Mountains. Southern California Botanists special publication 4, Fullerton, CA.
Zander RH, Jiménez JA, Sagar T.* 2005. Didymodon bistratosus (Pottiaceae) in the New World. Bryologist 108: 540-543.
Gershwin L.* 2001. Systematics and biogeography of the jellyfish Aurelia labiata (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa). Biological Bulletin. 201: 104-119.
Gershwin L.* 1999. Clonal and population variation in jellyfish symmetry. Journal of Marine Biology Association U. K. 79: 993-1000.
Current and past M.S. students & thesis topics
Lena Ayala Coleman - Mosses of Sequoia National Park.
Jocelyn Holt - Pollination of the endangered Pentachaeta lyonii.
Wyndee Haley - Do hummingbird foraging choices explain pollination syndromes?
Ann Dorsey - Life-history tradeoffs and rarity in Dudleya of the Santa Monica Mountains.
Tarja Sagar - Bryophytes of the Santa Monica Mountains. M.S. 2007. Now NPS employee.
Joanne Moriarte - Bobcat reproduction. M.S. 2006. Now NPS employee.
Elizabeth Jordan - Hybrid intermediacy between pollination syndromes. M.S. 2004. Now college instructor.
Jacob Kerby - Invasive crayfish. M.S. 2003. Now assistant professor U of S. Dakota.
Jeannie Chari - Speciation in penstemon. M.S. 2000. Now associate professor College of the Canyons.
James Dilley - Diversification of generalist lily flowers. M.S. 1999. Now USFS employee.
Honors
CSUN College of Science and Math: Bianchi Research Award
Stony Brook University: Teaching Assistant Award
Humboldt State University: Botany, Telonicher, and Rumble Awards
University and Professional Service
Associate Chair
Graduate Coordinator
Bios editor
Curriculum Committees
Search Committees, seven
Assistant then Associate Editor, Systematic Botany
National Park Service collaborator