Profile for Adam Schneider

Adam Schneider, Biology, co-authored the article "Same data, different analysts: variation in effect sizes due to analytical decisions in ecology and evolutionary biology" in BMC Biology published on Feb. 6. In this study, 174 analyst teams found strikingly variable answers to pre-specified research questions using the same sets of data, demonstrating diversity in analytical decision-making while shedding light on potential sources of unreliability and bias in scientific processes. The results align with growing recognition that the many choices researchers must make—such as which statistical methods to apply—can lead to divergent conclusions even when the different options are all reasonable. The authors hope their findings will encourage individual researchers, institutions, funding agencies, and journals to support initiatives aimed at improving research rigor, ultimately strengthening the reliability of scientific knowledge.

Submitted on: Feb. 8

Adam Schneider, Biology, authored the article "Multiple genotypes of Phelipanche ramosa indicate repeated introduction to the Americas" in the "American Journal of Botany," published on Jan. 6. This research, aided by student Ellie Euler, and funded by a UWL faculty research grant and private industry support, used genetic analysis to show that disjunct populations of an economically-damaging plant pathogen reflect four independent introductions from Eurasia to Chile, California, Virginia, and the southern U.S., respectively. These results will help inform containment efforts and industry practices. This research previously received local media coverage on WEAU and Spectrum One.  

Submitted on: Jan. 9

Adam Schneider, Biology, co-authored the article "Two New Species of Aphyllon from Northeastern Mexico" in Systematic Botany published on Dec. 23, 2023, by American Society of Plant Taxonomists. Schneider and two co-authors published descriptions of two new and rare parasitic plant species from Mexico.

Submitted on: Jan. 3, 2024

Adam Schneider, Biology, authored the article "APHYLLON RIPARIUM (OROBANCHACEAE) IN ARIZONA" in Phytoneuron published on Dec. 29, 2023 by Phytoneuron. Recent iNaturalist observations have shown Aphyllon riparium along the Verde River in northwest Arizona, a distance of about 300 air miles from the nearest known populations in northwest New Mexico. Additional observations and vouchers by Schneider and three co-authors document the Arizona plants.

Submitted on: Jan. 3, 2024

Adam Schneider, Biology, received a $52,680 research grant to assess population structure of contemporary Phelipanche ramosa field detections from California Tomato Research Institute. Invasive broomrape species (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are under the highest level of scrutiny by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. In the past decade, isolated incidences of branched broomrape have been reported and abatement efforts have been undertaken at considerable expense to farmers and the state government. Previous research by Schneider, funded by CTRI, suggests that continued outbreaks may be more likely due to the result of broomrape seed movement between sites, as opposed to repeated introductions to California from contaminated tomato seed stocks. This grant, for $52,680 over a year and a half (2024-2025), builds on that previous work by allowing a more robust sampling of extant outbreak sites in California and the incorporation of international samples for comparison.

Submitted on: Jan. 3, 2024