Ågren lab

Ecology and evolution of plant populations

Our research group studies the population biology of plants. We are particularly interested in plant adaptation along climatic gradients and the ecological and evolutionary consequences of plant-pollinator and plant-herbivore interactions. We use a combination of field and greenhouse experiments, demographic and genetic studies to analyze factors governing the structure and dynamics of plant populations, population differentiation, and the evolution of morphological and phenological characters in plants.

Some ongoing projects:

Ecology and evolution of adaptive population differentiation in Arabidopsis lyrata and A. thaliana
Land use, biotic interactions and population differentiation in Primula farinosa
Local adaptation and life-history variation in Arabis alpina
Biotic interactions and population structure in tristylous Lythrum salicaria
Reproductive biology and population dynamics of orchids

For more information, please see our research page

Group members

Research leader: Jon Ågren

Group members: Anaëlle Regen, Linus Vikström

Publications

Testing a General Theory for Optimal Flowering Time in Deciduous Perennial Plants as a Function of Growing Season Length

Park, John S.; Jackson, John; Bergsten, Anna; Ågren, Jon

Part of Ecology Letters, 2026
- DOI for Testing a General Theory for Optimal Flowering Time in Deciduous Perennial Plants as a Function of Growing Season Length
- Download full text (pdf) of Testing a General Theory for Optimal Flowering Time in Deciduous Perennial Plants as a Function of Growing Season Length
The role of secondary pollinators in the evolution of complex colour signals in a bimodal pollination system

Khoury, Katharine L.; Ågren, Jon; Peter, Craig I.; Sletvold, Nina et al.

Part of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 2026
- DOI for The role of secondary pollinators in the evolution of complex colour signals in a bimodal pollination system
- Download full text (pdf) of The role of secondary pollinators in the evolution of complex colour signals in a bimodal pollination system
Plant Mating Systems in Small Populations

Ågren, Jon; Sletvold, Nina

Part of Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, p. 445-466, 2025
- DOI for Plant Mating Systems in Small Populations
- Download full text (pdf) of Plant Mating Systems in Small Populations
Positive indirect effects outweigh negative direct effects of ungulate grazers on population growth of a grassland herb

Richards, Thomas J.; Thomann, Michel; Dahlgren, Johan; Ehrlen, Johan et al.

Part of Oikos, 2025
- DOI for Positive indirect effects outweigh negative direct effects of ungulate grazers on population growth of a grassland herb
- Download full text (pdf) of Positive indirect effects outweigh negative direct effects of ungulate grazers on population growth of a grassland herb
Museum Genomics Reveals Temporal Genetic Stasis and Global Genetic Diversity in Arabidopsis thaliana

Lopez, Lua; Lang, Patricia L. M.; Marciniak, Stephanie; Kistler, Logan et al.

Part of Molecular Ecology, 2025
- DOI for Museum Genomics Reveals Temporal Genetic Stasis and Global Genetic Diversity in Arabidopsis thaliana
- Download full text (pdf) of Museum Genomics Reveals Temporal Genetic Stasis and Global Genetic Diversity in Arabidopsis thaliana
Scavenging contributes to larval food intake in fungus gnats using the Arisaema kettle trap as a brood site

Huang, Wen; Li, Xin; Wang, Qing-Feng; Yang, Chun-Feng et al.

Part of Ecology, 2025
- DOI for Scavenging contributes to larval food intake in fungus gnats using the Arisaema kettle trap as a brood site
A large-effect fitness trade-off across environments is explained by a single mutation affecting cold acclimation

Lee, Gwonjin; Sanderson, Brian J.; Ellis, Thomas J.; Dilkes, Brian P. et al.

Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2024
- DOI for A large-effect fitness trade-off across environments is explained by a single mutation affecting cold acclimation
- Download full text (pdf) of A large-effect fitness trade-off across environments is explained by a single mutation affecting cold acclimation
Adaptation to soil type contributes little to local adaptation in an Italian and a Swedish ecotype of Arabidopsis thaliana on contrasting soils

Ellis, Thomas James; Ågren, Jon

Part of Biology Letters, 2024
- DOI for Adaptation to soil type contributes little to local adaptation in an Italian and a Swedish ecotype of Arabidopsis thaliana on contrasting soils
- Download full text (pdf) of Adaptation to soil type contributes little to local adaptation in an Italian and a Swedish ecotype of Arabidopsis thaliana on contrasting soils
Determining oviposition preferences to inform population reinforcement of the specialist chequered blue butterfly (Scolitantides orion)

Dunskis, Aivars; Stigenberg, Julia; Ågren, Jon; Sletvold, Nina

Part of Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 2024
- DOI for Determining oviposition preferences to inform population reinforcement of the specialist chequered blue butterfly (Scolitantides orion)
- Download full text (pdf) of Determining oviposition preferences to inform population reinforcement of the specialist chequered blue butterfly (Scolitantides orion)
Adaptation of perennial flowering phenology across the European range of Arabis alpina

Wunder, Jörg; Fulgione, Andrea; Toräng, Per; Wötzel, Stefan et al.

Part of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 2023
- DOI for Adaptation of perennial flowering phenology across the European range of Arabis alpina
- Download full text (pdf) of Adaptation of perennial flowering phenology across the European range of Arabis alpina

Part of research areas

Plant Ecology and Evolution