Email:  sscheine@nsf.gov Phone: (703) 292-7175 Fax: (703) 292-9064 Room: 635 N Organization:   (DEB) Title:  Program Director

My ongoing research covers four areas: (1) the evolution of phenotypic plasticity, (2) the development of structural equation models to measure natural selection, (3) patterns of plant community structure and diversity, and (4) general theories of ecology and biology.

 For the first area, I am currently collaborating with Steve Tonsor (University of Pittsburgh, on a project investigating the effects of novel environments (elevated CO2 levels) on gene expression in Arabidopsis.

I am also collaborating with Robert Holt (University of Florida) and Richard Gomulkeiwicz (Washington State University) on the development of simulation models of the evolution of plasticity in structured landscapes and with multiple species.

 For the second area, I am continuing work on the using path analysis to measure natural selection. This past year I initiated a collaboration with Richard Gomulkeiwicz.

 For the third area, I am collaborating with Michael Willig (University of Connecticut) and Gordon Fox (University of South Florida) on the development a theory of diversity gradients. I am also collaborating with James Grace (USGS) on the further development of the use of structural equation modeling in analysing patterns of diversity

 For the fourth area, I am collaborating with Michael Willig (University of Connecticut) on the development of a unified theory of ecology. I am also collaborating with William Zamer (NSF, IOS) on the development of a theory of organisms. We anticipate a manuscript from this work.

Finally, I developed a general theory of biology that extends such theories to cover all of the biological sciences.