1) Floristic Studies:
Since the flora of south Alabama is poorly known, documentation is needed to provide baseline data for comparisons with future floristic and ecological studies in Alabama and the southeastern United States.  The objectives of these studies include collecting and documenting all vascular plants growing in the study area.  Nine county floristic studies for south Alabama and several other smaller floristic survey's have recently been completed.  Two undergraduate students have conducted survey's on two of the state owned and operated county lakes.  Several other studies of this type are currently underway and others need to be conducted in Alabama.  These types of floristic studies typically require two years of field work.
     
2) Taxonomic Studies:
State wide taxonomic studies help us to develop a clear phylogenetic understanding of the taxa and provides us with much needed information on distribution.  Studies currently underway include: 1) Rhynchosia in North America; 2) Legumes of Arizona; 3) Vicia in Alabama; 4) Lathyrus in Alabama; 5) Tephrosia in Alabama; 6) Pisum in Alabama.  These types of taxonomic studies are available to both undergraduate and graduate students.
   
3) Ecological Studies:
South Alabama has several unique ecological communities where a number of uncommon plants are found.  This combination provides avenues for a variety of ecological studies.  One study involves the reproductive biology of the rare Warea sessilifolia Nash. which is know to occur from only two locations in Alabama.  A future study will likely involve restoration of plant communities on a hazardous waste site.  The initial phase of this study will involve a floristic survey of a non-impacted site. This would provide species composition of the natural communities in the area.

PEOPLE
Current Lab Members:
Eric Minton:  2016-present.  A distributional and taxonomic study oof the Tribe Vicieae (Fabaceae) in Alabama.
Previous Lab Members (Graduate Students):
Shelley Tuck:  2004-2005.  A taxonomic and distributional study of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) in Alabama.
Tiffany Pennington-Dransfield:  1999-2001.  The vascular flora of Dale County, Alabama.
Brian Martin:  1999-2001.  The vascular flora of Coffee County, Alabama.
Hannelore Rundell:  1997-1999.  The vascular flora of Eck Lake, Alabama.
Cynthia Brittain:  1995-1996.  The vascular flora of Lisenby Area, Escambia County, Alabama.
Ruth Austinhirst:  1993-1994.  The vascular flora of Beaver Lake, Ft. Rucker, Alabama.

(Undergraduate Students):
Julia Orcutt: 2016-2017.  The genus Vicia (Fabaceae) in Alabama.
Whitney Senn:  2012-2013. The genus Dalea (Fabaceae) in Alabama.
Lindsay Leverett:  2009-2010. The genus Crotalaria (Fabaceae) in Alabama.
Lindsay Leverett:  2008-2009. The genus Indigofera (Fabaceae) in Alabama.
Jann Key:  2007-2008.  The genus Rhynchosia (Fabaceae) in Alabama.
Thomas Windham:  2003-2005.  Pteridiophyte distribution in south Alabama.
Kenneth Thomason:  2002.  Investigations of the reproductive biology of the rare Warea sessilifolia Nash.
Andy Hall:  2001-2002. The vascular flora of the Pike County Pocosin Nature Preserve, Alabama.
Brian Prazinko:  2000-2001.  The vascular flora of Dale County Lake, Alabama.
Jeanese Holmes-Reiss:  1998-1999.  The vascular flora of Pike County Lake, Alabama.
Hannelore Rundell:  1997.  Isolation and identification of terpenes in Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae).

INTERESTED IN MY RESEARCH
If my research sounds appealing and if you are considering our graduate program in Environmental and Biological Sciences, or if you are an undergraduate that would like to get involved in a research project, please contact me  for additional information.  mwoods@troy.edu