Jessie Mutz
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society
I am an evolutionary ecologist interested in how plants interact with other organisms, particularly herbivorous insects and belowground fungi. I study feedbacks that arise between traits of individuals (e.g., defenses, movement) and characteristics of populations (e.g., density, demographic structure), and ultimately the role these feedbacks play in driving ecological and evolutionary dynamics in natural systems. To do this, I integrate field studies, lab and greenhouse experiments, and mathematical models.
Contact
Department(s)
Biological Sciences
Education
- Ph.D. Florida State University
- B.A. University of Florida
Selected Publications
Mutz, J. and K.C. Abbott. 2025. Life history modulates effects of inducible defenses on consumer-resource dynamics. The American Naturalist 205: 41-54.
Douglas, H.B., G. Hammond, T.W. Smith, J. Mutz, A.S. Konstantinov. 2024. Palaearctic flea beetle Phyllotreta ochripes (Curtis) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae), herbivore of Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), new to North America. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e135576.
Mutz, J., J.S. Thaler, T.A. Ugine, B.D. Inouye, and N. Underwood. 2024. Predator densities alter the influence of non-consumptive effects on the population dynamics of an agricultural pest. Ecological Entomology 49(3): 306-318.
Mutz, J. and B.D. Inouye. 2023. Spatial and ontogenetic variance in local densities modify selection on demographic traits. Functional Ecology 37(6): 1628-1641.