Dissertation Research: The Effects of Phenotypic Variation on Food Web Architecture and Ecosystem Fluxes: A Dual Tracer Isotope Approach

论文研究：表型变异对食物网结构和生态系统通量的影响：双示踪同位素方法

• 批准号: 1209385
• 负责人: Nelson Hairston
• 金额: $ 1.47万
• 依托单位: Cornell University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-06-01 至 2014-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1209385&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Effects; Phenotypic; Variation

The primary goal of this study is to determine how variation within a single species can influence the transfer of energy and materials in stream food webs. The proposed research will use a model system for evolutionary studies, the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata), to determine how two phenotypes of a single species can influence ecosystem processes in streams. Streams on the island of Trinidad occur in parallel watersheds that have similar environmental gradients with locally adapted populations of guppies. Two phenotypes have been established in previous studies: guppies from streams with predators, and guppies from streams without predators. These two guppy phenotypes are likely to influence the ecosystem in unique ways because of differences in how they feed and what they eat. This study uses a replicated experiment to examine how both guppy phenotype and resource availability influence ecosystems.A better understanding of how within-species variation affects ecological processes will provide additional insight into interactions between ecological and evolutionary processes, which may be widespread and significant. Many people are familiar with guppies because of their prominent role in the aquarium trade, making them an accessible system to communicate scientific research about evolutionary ecology. This work will also inform studies of how land use change alters stream ecosystems.

这项研究的主要目标是确定单个物种内的变异如何影响溪流食物网中能量和物质的转移。 拟议的研究将使用进化研究模型系统特立尼达孔雀鱼（Poecilia reticulata）来确定单个物种的两种表型如何影响溪流中的生态系统过程。 特立尼达岛上的溪流出现在平行的流域中，这些流域与适应当地的孔雀鱼种群具有相似的环境梯度。 先前的研究已经建立了两种表型：来自有捕食者的溪流的孔雀鱼和来自没有捕食者的溪流的孔雀鱼。 这两种孔雀鱼表型可能会以独特的方式影响生态系统，因为它们的进食方式和吃的东西存在差异。 这项研究使用重复实验来研究孔雀鱼表型和资源可用性如何影响生态系统。更好地了解物种内变异如何影响生态过程将为生态过程和进化过程之间的相互作用提供更多见解，这种相互作用可能是广泛且重要的。 许多人都熟悉孔雀鱼，因为它们在水族贸易中发挥着重要作用，使它们成为传播进化生态学科学研究的便捷系统。 这项工作还将为土地利用变化如何改变河流生态系统的研究提供信息。