Changes in the environment may result in altered mating patterns for plants. Plants that normally outcross using pollinators may be forced to self-fertilize because of lack of mates or fewer pollinators visits. In some plant species, self-fertilization can lead to a lower fitness, or inbreeding depression. Furthermore, plants that exhibit inbreeding depression may experience an even lower fitness proportional to the fitness of outcrossed individuals if environmental stresses occur in its habitat.

Our study attempts to show that multiple stresses on inbred individual will interact and have a combined effect on the degree of inbreeding depression. In this study, we use a native Missouri perennial, Mimulus ringens. We stressed the study plants by artificially herbivorizing leaves and reducing the amount of water received. We attempt to demonstrate that the greater that individuals are stressed, the greater degree of inbreeding depression will be exhibited.