DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Metabolic and behavioral integration in social insect colonies

论文研究：社会性昆虫群体的代谢和行为整合

• 批准号: 1110796
• 负责人: Jon Harrison
• 金额: $ 1.41万
• 依托单位: Arizona State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-07-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1110796&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Metabolic; behavioral; integration; DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Metabolic; behavioral; integration

Size is among the most important factors in determining the biology of an individual animal. Characteristics that correlate with body size include lifespan, metabolism, and growth. Despite the significance of these factors for fields ranging from field ecology to human medicine, scientists have not yet been able to explain the mechanistic link that generates these patterns throughout nature. Recent studies have demonstrated that size not only affects individual animals, but also entire societies such as social insect colonies. The central focus of this study is to test the hypothesis that behavioral organization influences the distribution of work within colonies and results in the allometric scaling of metabolic rate with colony size. Two sets of experiments will make it possible to test this hypothesis, first by measuring colonies as they naturally grow and second by artificially manipulating colony size. In both sets of experiments, metabolic rates, patterns of network connectivity, and and growth rates will be measured to develop an integrative perspective on how size affects whole colony energetics. This research will be conducted with the help of undergraduate students from minority backgrounds all of whom will have the opportunity to develop their own independent projects to develop and present at national conferences. A collaboration with the Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Maricopa County, AZ designed to educate and engage the general public with an interest in insect biodiversity will also be supported by this proposal.

大小是确定个体动物生物学的最重要因素之一。 与体型相关的特征包括寿命，代谢和生长。 尽管这些因素对于从现场生态学到人类医学的田野具有重要意义，但科学家尚未能够解释在整个自然界中产生这些模式的机械链接。 最近的研究表明，大小不仅会影响单个动物，而且会影响整个社会，例如社会昆虫殖民地。 这项研究的主要重点是检验以下假设：行为组织影响殖民地内部工作的分布，并导致代谢率随菌落大小的异形缩放。 两组实验将使检验这一假设成为可能，首先是通过自然生长的菌落来测量菌落，其次是通过人为地操纵菌落大小来测量菌落。 在两组实验中，将衡量代谢率，网络连接性和增长率的模式，以对大小如何影响整个菌落能量学的综合观点发展。 这项研究将在来自少数族裔背景的本科生的帮助下进行，所有这些人都有机会开发自己的独立项目以在国家会议上发展和展示。 该提案与旨在对昆虫生物多样性感兴趣的公众教育和吸引公众的亚利桑那州立大学的Estrella山区公园合作也将得到该提议的支持。