ABR: Fitness Consequences of Variable Foraging

莫尔斯博士将继续研究种群内不同觅食成功的后果，使用的是一种常见的马利草Asclepias syriaca的常见捕食者蟹蛛Misumena vata。从不同的成功觅食的母亲的后代分散从他们的出生地的趋势将被测量。Misumena是这方面的理想选择，因为它只产一窝蛋，而觅食成功可以很容易地用窝的大小来量化。本研究将探讨幼鸟出生窝卵数和微生境对幼鸟离巢扩散的影响，以及父母筑巢基质的选择对幼鸟离巢扩散的影响。这项工作具有重要的基础意义，因为它将有助于确定觅食模式与适应性之间的关系，并促进觅食和生活史理论的整合。这是当今生态学和种群生物学的两个主要研究领域。实际上，它将确定生命周期中的关键和非关键时期，并提供对脆弱性窗口存在的洞察力。这些知识将普遍适用于其他系统，例如涉及农业害虫的系统。

Dr. Morse will continue studies on the consequences of differential foraging success within a population, using the crab spider Misumena vatia, a common predator on common milkweed Asclepias syriaca. The tendencies of offspring from differentially successful foraging mothers to disperse from their natal site will be measured. Misumena is ideal for this purpose because it lays only one clutch of eggs, and foraging success can be readily quantified in terms of clutch size. This research will a) evaluate the roles of natal clutch size and microhabitat on the offsprings' dispersal away from the nest, and b) the importance of parents' choice of nesting substrates on juvenile dispersal. This work is of fundamental importance because it will help to determine the relationship between foraging patterns and fitness and facilitate integration of foraging and life-history theory. These are two of the major research areas in ecology and population biology today. In practical terms it will identify critical and non-critical periods in life cycles and provide insight into where windows of vulnerability exist. This knowledge will have general applicability to other systems, such as those involving agricultural pests.