David Moeller

David Moeller is a Professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of Minnesota and a key researcher at the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center. His work spans evolutionary biology, plant ecology, and climate change impacts, with particular focus on plant speciation and adaptation mechanisms.

Moeller's research interests center on plant evolutionary processes, with special emphasis on Clarkia species as model systems. His work investigates mating system evolution, range shifts under climate change, invasive species dynamics, and population demography. He employs approaches ranging from landscape genomics to long-term field studies and computational modeling.

His recent publications reveal strong trends in studying how environmental variation drives evolutionary processes, particularly examining the interplay between mating systems, demographic patterns, and adaptation. Moeller's work increasingly integrates remote sensing and deep learning approaches for monitoring invasive species, while maintaining his foundational work on plant speciation mechanisms.

Moeller currently leads multiple significant research projects including an NSF LTREB grant on evolutionary demography (2018-2024), research on mating system divergence in plant speciation (2018-2024), and a USGS project integrating adaptation and migration potential into climate change range shift forecasts (2025-2026). His collaborative work spans institutions and disciplines, addressing critical questions in evolutionary ecology and conservation.

As part of the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center, Moeller contributes to research addressing invasive species challenges in the region, with particular focus on developing advanced monitoring techniques and understanding evolutionary responses to environmental change.