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Cornell University Department of Entomology

Jennifer Thaler


Jennifer Thaler

Associate Professor

University of California, Davis, 1999.
Insect ecology.

3128 Comstick Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2601
Phone: 607.255.7064
Fax: 607.255.0939
Email: jst37@cornell.edu

Table of Contents

Professional Overview and Objectives

My research has two major goals, both unified by mission of developing a predictive framework for understanding the complex interactions that occur between plant and insect species. Given the ubiquitous nature of insect herbivores on plants, a central goal of modern agriculture is to develop novel methods of pest control. I firmly believe that studies of natural ecological systems, coupled with focused studies of particular agroecosystems, can provide insight into controlling insect pests. Thus, the first major goal of my research is to study the ecological interactions between plants, herbivores, and carnivores in wild Solanaceous plant species. Here my approach focuses on understanding behavioral and phytochemical mechanisms of such tri-trophic interactions, and testing theory on the organization of multi-trophic communities. The second goal of my research program is to work on tomato and related crop species in an agroecological setting, to understand the specific role of factors such as plant defense pathways (jasmonate, salicylate, etc) in mediating interactions between plants, herbivores and pathogens, and predators and parasitoids. By employing modern methods associated with the tomato-model system (genetically modified plants with altered defense signaling, phytochemical analyses, etc) we are gaining insight into the function of plant defense in tri-trophic interactions and working towards utilizing novel strategies to control insect pests.

Education

Year Degree Institution
1999 Ph.D. Entomology University of California at Davis
(Advisor: Dr. Richard Karban)
1993 B.A. Biology Cum Laude Wellesley College

Academic Ranks

Assistant Professor: 2000, University of Toronto
Assistant Professor: 2004, Cornell University

Courses Taught

Entom 3690 Chemical Ecology
Entom 4550 Insect Ecology

Publications

Refereed Papers

J.S. Thaler and Griffin, C.A. 2008. Relative importance of consumptive and non-consumptive effects of predators on prey and plant damage: the influence of herbivore ontogeny. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, in press.

Viswanathan, D.V., G. McNickle, and J.S. Thaler. 2008. Heterogeneity of plant phenotypes caused by herbivore-specific induced responses influences the spatial distribution of herbivores. Ecological Entomology 33:86-94.

Viswanathan, D.V., O.A. Lifchits, and J.S. Thaler. 2007. Consequences of sequential attack for resistance to herbivores when plants have specific induced responses. Oikos 116:1389-1399.

Griffin, C.A., J.S. Thaler. 2006. Insect predators affect plant resistance via density- and trait- mediated indirect interactions. Ecology Letters 9:338-346.

Stout, M.J., J.S. Thaler, B. Thomma. 2006. Plant-mediated interactions between arthropod herbivores and plant pathogens. Annual Review of Entomology 51:663-689.

Viswanathan, D.V., A.J.T. Narwani, and J.S. Thaler. 2005. Specificity in induced plant responses shapes patterns of herbivore occurrence on Solanum dulcamara. Ecology 86:886-896.

Rodriguez-Saona, C. and J.S. Thaler. 2005. Herbivore-induced responses and patch heterogeneity affect abundance of arthropods on plants. Ecological Entomology 30:156-163.

Rodriguez-Saona, C., J. Chalmers, S. Raj, and J.S. Thaler. 2005. Induced plant responses to multiple damagers: differential effects on the performance of an herbivore and its parasitoid. Oecologia 143:566-577.

Rodriguez-Saona, C. and J.S. Thaler. 2005. The jasmonate pathway alters herbivore feeding behavior: consequences for plant defenses. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 115:125-134.

Thaler, J.S., B. Owen, and V.J. Higgins. 2004. The role of the jasmonate response in plant susceptibility to diverse pathogens with a range of lifestyles. Plant Physiology, 135:530-538.

 

Thaler, J.S. and R.M. Bostock. 2004.  Interactions between abscisic-acid-mediated responses and plant resistance to pathogens and insects. Ecology 85:48-58.

 

Viswanathan, D.V. and Thaler, J.S. 2004. Plant vascular architecture and within-plant spatial patterns in resource quality following herbivory. Journal of Chemical Ecology 30:531-543.

 

Thaler, J. S., M. Farag, P. Pare and M. Dicke. 2002. Jasmonate deficient tomato mutant has reduced direct and indirect defense” Ecology Letters 5:764-774.

 

Thaler, J.S., A.L. Fidantsef, R.M. Bostock. 2002. Antagonism between jasmonate- and salicylate-mediated induced plant resistance: Effects of concentration and timing of elicitors on defense-related proteins, herbivore, and pathogen performance in tomato. Journal of Chemical Ecology 28:1143-1171.

 

Thaler, J.S., R. Karban, D.E. Ullman, K. Boege, R.M. Bostock. 2002. Cross-talk between jasmonate and salicylate plant defense pathways: effects on several plant parasites. Oecologia 131:227-235.

 

Thaler, J. S. 2002. Effect of jasmonate-induced responses on the natural enemies of herbivores.  Journal of Animal Ecology 71:141-150.

 

Thaler, J. S., M. J. Stout, R. Karban, and S. S. Duffey. 2001. Jasmonate-mediated induced plant resistance affects a community of herbivores.  Ecological Entomology 26:312-324.

 

Bostock, R.M., R. Karban, J. S. Thaler, P. D. Weyman, and D. G. Gilchrist. 2001. Signal interactions in induced resistance to pathogens and insect herbivores. European Journal of Plant Pathology 107:103-111.

 

Omer, A. D., J. S. Thaler, J. Granett, and R. Karban. 2000. Jasmonic acid induced resistance in grapes to a root and leaf feeder. Journal of Economic Entomology 93:840-848.

 

Thaler, J. S. 1999. Jasmonate-inducible plant defenses cause increased parasitism of herbivores.  Nature 399:686-688.

 

Thaler, J. S., A. L. Fidantsef, S. S. Duffey, and R. M. Bostock. 1999.  Tradeoffs in plant defense against pathogens and herbivores? A field demonstration using chemical elicitors of induced resistance.  Journal of Chemical Ecology 25:1597-1609.

 

Fidantsef, A. L., M. J. Stout, J. S. Thaler, S. S. Duffey, and R. M. Bostock. 1999. Signal interactions in pathogen and insect attack: Expression of lipoxygenase, proteinase inhibitor II, and pathogenesis – related protein P4 in the tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 54:97-114.

 

Thaler, J. S. 1999. Induced resistance in agricultural crops: Effects of jasmonic acid on herbivory and yield in tomato plants. Environmental Entomology 28:30-37.

 

Karban, R., A. A. Agrawal, J. S. Thaler, and L. S. Adler. 1999. Induced plant responses and information content about risk of herbivory. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14:443-447.

 

Karban, R. and J. S. Thaler. 1999. Plant phase change and resistance to herbivores. Ecology 80:510-517.

Agrawal, A. A., C. Kobayashi, and J. S. Thaler. 1999. The influence of prey availability and induced host plant resistance on omnivory by western flower thrips. Ecology 80:518-523.

Book Chapters

Thaler, J. S. 1999. Jasmonic acid mediated interactions between plants, herbivores, parasitoids, and pathogens: A review of field experiments in tomato.  Pages 319-334 in A. A. Agrawal, S. Tuzun, and E. Bent, eds. Induced Plant Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores: Biochemistry, Ecology, and Agriculture. APS Press, St. Paul, MN.

Non-refereed Publications

Agrawal, A.A. and J.S. Thaler. (2003). Solving the two-body problem. Science Magazine’s Next Wave (http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2003/03/06/2).