Christopher D. Tyrrell, PhD
Research Curator
Herbarium (MIL), Milwaukee Public Museum
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Dept. of Biological Sciences, Marquette University
tyrrell@mpm.edu
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People
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Publications
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Research
Research
Plant biodiversity is the variety of genetics, species, and functions found in or provided by plants. My lab is interested in description and classification of biodiversity, the evolutionary relationships among species, the role species play in their habitats, and their patterns of distribution relative to other taxa. We ask questions like: how many species of plants are there?, what factors affect our ability to detect diversity?, why do species persist in particular environments?, and how does their morphology and, thus, our ability to detect them change under particular conditions?
Neotropical Bamboo Systematics
People often think bamboo is a tall, majestic plant species in Asia, but there are nearly 1,700 species of bamboo worldwide and they range from tall to short and woody to herbaceous. My research focuses on understanding the origin and evolution of New World woody bamboos and their key morphological features. Along the way we discover and describe their biodiversity and improve bamboo taxonomy.
Discovery and description of new species adds to our understanding of biodiversity, but it is also critical that downstream users of this primary research can use that biodiversity knowledge effectively. To that end, my lab investiagtes and creates resources for taxonomic identification and quantifying identification uncertainty.
Aquatic plants are often colloquially referred to as "weeds". This regrettable moniker is symptomatic of how people see the macroscopic aquatic flora: a menace to aquatic recreation and hydrologic management. Yet a native verdure is an important component of healthy lakes, rivers and wetlands.