Collaborative Research: Plant phenology, local adaptation, and growing season length in the changing Arctic tundra

合作研究：变化的北极苔原中的植物物候、当地适应和生长季节长度

• 批准号: 2109950
• 负责人: Gaius Shaver
• 金额: $ 35.99万
• 依托单位: Marine Biological Laboratory
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2109950&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Plant; phenology; local

In the Arctic, plants begin their growth after winter snow melts in June. They stop growing when cold temperatures return in August. The growing season in the Arctic is shorter further north and longer towards the south. This causes the timing of their growth to vary between different populations of common plants. Because of climate change, the Arctic is getting warmer faster than areas that are further south, and the growing season is getting longer. Some plants may not adjust to the longer growing season because of their genes. In contrast, others may have genes that permit them to change. We find both kinds in the Arctic. This research will examine how light, temperature, and genetics work together to determine how arctic plants respond to changes in the growing season. For some plants, we will adjust the amount of light they receive to see how the plants respond. We will study if the plants have genes that allow them to stay active if the growing season changes. This approach will help to understand whether the plants will grow in a future warmer Arctic. To help the scientists working in Alaska, high school students in Pennsylvania will grow arctic plants in a laboratory to see how they respond to changes in light. College students from the University of Texas at El Paso will help with fieldwork in Alaska.Plant phenology, or the timing of leaf initiation, leaf death, and flowering, is one trait most affected by climate change. In the Arctic, changes in plant phenology can alter how ecosystems function at multiple levels. Previous research by our group identified a significant difference in growing season length between northern and southern populations of tussock cottongrass. This finding suggests that the phenology of this species is under genetic constraint. The present project will investigate the effect of local adaptation on the phenology of tussock cottongrass and two of its competitors, the dwarf birch and tealeaf willow. The hypothesis is that temperature, light, and genetics, in different combinations, are responsible for differences in phenology in the Arctic. The strength of these controls will vary between populations that are found in different environments. Field and growth chamber experiments will determine the role of temperature, light, and genetics on plant phenology. We will monitor plants at the leaf and ecosystem scales to understand how phenology and growing season length affect plant function and ecosystem responses. A combination of methods will provide a unified approach to plant response to climate change in the Arctic. This project will have broader impacts on arctic science by building on a strong tradition that involves undergraduates in arctic field research. The project will recruit assistants from a small university with many first-generation students and from a leading Hispanic Serving Institution. It will also involve high school students from Wilkes-Barre in laboratory studies of phenology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在北极，植物在六月冬雪融化后开始生长。当八月气温回升时，它们就会停止生长。北极的生长季节越往北越短，越往南越长。这导致不同常见植物种群的生长时间有所不同。由于气候变化，北极比更南的地区变暖得更快，生长季节也变得更长。有些植物可能因其基因而无法适应更长的生长季节。相比之下，其他人可能拥有允许他们改变的基因。我们在北极发现了这两种情况。这项研究将研究光、温度和遗传学如何共同作用，以确定北极植物如何应对生长季节的变化。对于某些植物，我们会调整它们接收到的光量，以观察植物的反应。我们将研究植物是否具有在生长季节变化时保持活跃的基因。这种方法将有助于了解这些植物是否会在未来温暖的北极生长。为了帮助在阿拉斯加工作的科学家，宾夕法尼亚州的高中生将在实验室中种植北极植物，以观察它们对光线变化的反应。德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校的大学生将帮助在阿拉斯加进行实地考察。植物物候学，即叶子萌生、叶子死亡和开花的时间，是受气候变化影响最严重的性状之一。在北极，植物物候的变化可以改变生态系统在多个层面上的功能。我们小组之前的研究发现，北部和南部草丛棉草种群的生长季节长度存在显着差异。这一发现表明该物种的物候受到遗传限制。本项目将研究当地适应对草丛棉草及其两种竞争对手矮桦和茶叶柳物候的影响。该假设认为，温度、光照和遗传学的不同组合导致了北极物候的差异。这些控制的强度因不同环境中的种群而异。田间和生长室实验将确定温度、光照和遗传学对植物物候的作用。我们将在叶子和生态系统尺度上监测植物，以了解物候和生长季节长度如何影响植物功能和生态系统反应。多种方法的结合将为植物应对北极气候变化提供统一的方法。该项目将以本科生参与北极实地研究的强大传统为基础，对北极科学产生更广泛的影响。该项目将从一所拥有许多第一代学生的小型大学和一家领先的西班牙裔服务机构招募助理。它还将让威尔克斯-巴里的高中生参与物候学的实验室研究。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。