Eco-evolutionary dynamics

生态进化动力学

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04761
• 负责人: Hendry, Andrew
• 金额: $ 4.74万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=713205
• 关键词: Eco; evolutionary; dynamics

Evolution was classically considered to be a very slow force for change. Recent research, however, has revealed that evolution can proceed very rapidly in cases of dramatic environmental change. This rapid (or “contemporary”) evolution should have important consequences for ecological patterns and processes, including population dynamics (e.g., abundances of organisms), community structure (e.g., biodiversity), and ecosystem function (including ecosystem services, such as clean water, natural resources, and agricultural production). These “eco-evolutionary dynamics” have been demonstrated in many studies but nearly all of those studies were conducted in unrealistic laboratory settings. My research seeks to fill this critical information gap by understanding how eco-evolutionary dynamics play out in the real world. This research involves several model systems, including two described here that are particularly well suited for replicated experimental manipulations in nature. In Galpagos, my research focuses on how plants shape the evolution of finch beaks, and how that evolution feeds back to influence plant communities. Two key questions will be addressed. (1) How do evolving finch beak traits (size and shape) influence seed and plant communities? (2) How are specific plant species evolving in response to finch predation? These questions will be addressed through experimental manipulations (exclosures, seed removals, predation experiments) that influence the specific seed types consumed by finches. In North America, the equivalent questions are also two-fold. (1) How do differences in the foraging traits of stickleback fishes influence plankton communities in lakes and, perhaps thereby, whole lake ecosystems? (2) How do specific plankton species evolve in response to foraging by different stickleback types, again with potential consequences for communities and lake ecosystems. These questions will be addressed by introducing stickleback of different types into different lakes from which management agencies have removed all fishes (as a side effect of their efforts to remove invasive fishes). The proposed research will train at least six new PhD students, and more than 30 undergraduate students, in field methods (e.g., collection, observation, experiments), fish rearing (e.g., animal care and behaviour), experimental design (e.g., replication, controls, power), sample processing (e.g., morphometrics, spectroradiometry, stable isotopes), advanced statistics, and publication. Overall, the work will provide key information on the extent to which conservation and management practices should consider evolutionary processes. Perhaps, to a first approximation, evolution can be safely ignored; or, perhaps, evolution should be considered as an integral part of every such endeavor; or, perhaps, evolution is critically important in some cases but not others.

从经典上看，进化是变化的非常缓慢的力量。然而，最近的研究表明，在急剧变化的情况下，进化可以很快进行。这种快速（或“当代”）进化应该对生态模式和过程产生重要的影响，包括人群动态（例如生物体的抽象），社区结构（例如生物多样性）和生态系统功能（包括生态系统服务，例如清洁水，自然资源和农业生产）。在许多研究中已经证明了这些“生态进化动态”，但几乎所有研究都是在不切实际的实验室环境中进行的。我的研究旨在通过了解生态进化动态在现实世界中如何发挥作用来填补这一关键信息差距。这项研究涉及多个模型系统，其中包括此处描述的两个模型系统，这些模型特别适合于自然界复制的实验操作。 在加尔帕戈斯（Galpagos），我的研究重点是植物如何塑造细喙的进化以及该进化如何反馈以影响植物群落。将解决两个关键问题。 （1）不断发展的细喙特征（大小和形状）如何影响种子和植物群落？ （2）特定植物物种如何响应精细预测？这些问题将通过影响雀科消耗的特定种子类型的实验操作（包括，种子去除，预测实验）来解决。 在北美，同等问题也是两个方面的问题。 （1）粘性鱼类的觅食特征的差异如何影响湖泊中的浮游生物社区，也许会影响整个湖泊生态系统？ （2）特定的浮游物种如何响应不同的粘背类型的觅食而发展，对社区和湖泊生态系统产生了潜在的后果。这些问题将通过将不同类型的粘性引入不同湖泊的粘性来解决，管理机构从中取出了所有鱼类（作为他们去除侵入性鱼类的努力的副作用）。 The proposed research will tr​​ain at least six new PhD students, and more than 30 undergraduate students, in field methods (e.g., collection, observation, experiments), fish rearing (e.g., animal care and behaviour), experimental design (e.g., replication, controls, power), sample processing (e.g., morphometrics, spectroradiometry, stable isotopes), advanced statistics, and publication. 总体而言，这项工作将提供有关考虑和管理实践应考虑进化过程的程度的关键信息。也许，到了第一个近似，可以安全地忽略进化。或者，也许进化应该被视为每项努力不可或缺的一部分；或者，也许进化在某些情况下至关重要，而不是其他情况。