IntBIO Collaborative Research: An integrative approach for projecting insect responses to a rapidly changing climate

IntBIO 合作研究：预测昆虫对快速变化气候的反应的综合方法

• 批准号: 2128244
• 负责人: Joel Kingsolver
• 金额: $ 50.63万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2025-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2128244&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: IntBIO; Collaborative; Research; integrative; approach

Projecting species’ responses to climate change at continental scales is a current “grand challenge” of ecological research. Insects are sensitive indicators of both climate and land-use change and recent studies indicate widespread declines in many geographic regions. To predict changes across entire ranges, a variety of species distribution models have been developed, but rarely account for regional variability, ecological interactions or a species’ potential to adapt to changing conditions. This project spans multiple institutions situated in the United States’ southwest, polar north, and temperate eastern regions. A series of physiological experiments will be implemented for five widespread butterfly species with populations sourced from different biomes within each of their ranges. Caterpillars will be subjected to a range of conditions mimicking past, current and future climates. Their development rate, survivorship, immune response, and genetic structure and gene expression (which genes are actively coding for proteins) will be measured and used to build models that predict distributional shifts. Data collected by community (“citizen”) scientists will be used to validate the models. This project requires substantial cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a central goal is to recruit diverse trainees at the graduate and undergraduate levels and train them in the “science of team science”. Project trainees will develop independent research ideas that align with and expand the project’s scope and travel between and work at collaborating institutions as an inter-lab exchange to learn new techniques and be exposed to different research philosophies. Finally, the project has significant management implications for insect biodiversity conservation. Projecting responses to climate change at continent scales is a current “grand challenge” of ecological research. Insects are the most diverse and ecologically important terrestrial animal taxon and are strongly affected by climate change. To predict changes, species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely implemented across many taxa. SDMs, however, rarely account for ecological interactions, plasticity or evolutionary adaptive potential owing to the extensive physiological and ecological data required to parameterize such models. The biology of Lepidoptera, particularly butterflies, is extremely well observed, thus it is logistically feasible to build upon past knowledge and collect additional data that enables mechanisms to be more seamlessly integrated into SDMs. Multiple populations for each species will be sourced from different biomes across its range. Caterpillars will be reared in common gardens under a range of temperature conditions mimicking past, current and future climates. Their development rate, survivorship, immune response, genetic structure and gene expression will be measured and used to build models that predict future distributions. Distribution data collected by community (“citizen”) scientists will be used to validate and improve models and allow robust estimates of uncertainty.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.

在连续尺度上投射物种对气候变化的反应是生态研究的当前“巨大挑战”。昆虫是气候变化和土地利用变化的敏感指标，最近的研究表明，许多地理区域的宽度下降。为了预测整个范围的变化，已经开发了各种物种分布模型，但很少考虑区域可变性，生态相互作用或物种适应不断变化的条件的潜力。该项目涵盖了位于美国西南部，极地北部和温度东部地区的多个机构。将针对五个宽度的蝴蝶物种实施一系列的物理实验，其种群来自其每个范围内的不同生物群落。毛毛虫将受到模仿过去，当前和将来气候的一系列条件。它们的发育速率，生存率，免疫反应，遗传结构和基因表达（基因正在主动编码蛋白质）将进行测量，并用于构建预测分布转移的模型。社区（“公民”）科学家收集的数据将用于验证模型。该项目需要实质性的跨学科合作，一个核心目标是招募研究生和本科级别的潜水员学员，并在“团队科学科学”中培训他们。项目受训者将开发独立的研究思想，以与项目的范围相吻合并扩大在合作机构之间的范围，并在合作机构之间进行旅行，以学习新技术并受到不同的研究理念的了解。最后，该项目对昆虫生物多样性保护具有重要的管理意义。在非洲大陆量表中对气候变化的投影反应是生态研究的当前“巨大挑战”。昆虫是最多样化，最重要的陆地动物分类群，受到气候变化的强烈影响。为了预测变化，物种分布模型（SDM）已在许多分类单元中广泛实施。但是，由于参数化此类模型所需的广泛生理和生态数据，SDM很少考虑生态相互作用，可塑性或进化自适应潜力。鳞翅目的生物学，尤其是蝴蝶的生物学，非常好，因此在逻辑上是可行的，可以基于过去的知识并收集其他数据，从而使机制更加无缝地集成到SDMS中。每个物种的多个种群将来自其范围内的不同生物群落。在模仿过去，当前和将来的气候的一系列温度条件下，将在普通花园中饲养毛毛虫。它们的发育速率，生存率，免疫反应，遗传结构和基因表达将被衡量，并用于构建预测未来分布的模型。社区（“公民”）科学家收集的分配数据将用于验证和改善模型，并允许对不确定性进行稳健的估计。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子和更广泛的影响审查标准来评估，被视为通过评估而被视为珍贵的支持。