Invasion of an Ecological Niche by Lepomis gibbosus in Lakes Without Lepomis macrochirus

单一物种通常被设想为相对统一的实体 占据一个单一的“利基”。“然而，最近，生态学家们 发现一个物种可以由多个专家组成 占据着不同的位置。 生态多样性 物种内的物种可能会受到其他物种的严重影响。 社区 私人侦探将在 南瓜子太阳鱼（Lepomis gibbosus），其地理范围 与蓝鳃太阳鱼（Lepomis）部分重叠 machrochirus）。 在它们共存的地方， 多面手，往往以浮游动物为食，而南瓜籽是 主要以蜗牛为食的生态专家 在湖泊 没有蓝鳃金龟，然而，南瓜种子存在两种形态 其中一种以浮游动物为食。 因此，生态 在同域分布的地区，物种之间存在的多样性 取而代之的是相当程度的生态多样性， 在物种内部的分布。 从基础科学的角度来看， 拟议中的研究解决了一些基本问题， 共同进化，适应性辐射，表型可塑性， 物种形成 这项研究也将具有实际意义， 特别是通过证明种内变异不能被 在生物多样性研究中被忽视。

Single species are often envisioned as relatively uniform entities that occupy a single "niche." Recently, however, ecologists have discovered that single species can consist of multiple specialists that occupy different niches. Furthermore, ecological diversity within species can be heavily influenced by other species in the community. The PIs will investigate this important subject in pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus), whose geographical range partially overlaps with the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis machrochirus). Where they coexist, bluegill are ecological generalists that often feed on zooplankton, while pumpkinseed are ecological specialists that feed primarily on snails. In lakes without bluegill, however, pumpkinseeds exist as two morphological forms, one of which feeds on zooplankton. Thus, the ecological diversity that exists between species in areas of sympatry is replaced by a comparable degree of ecological diversity that exists within species in allopatry. From the standpoint of basic science, the proposed research addresses fundamental questions involving coevolution, adaptive radiations, phenotypic plasticity, and speciation. The research will also have practical implications, especially by showing that intraspecific variation cannot be ignored in studies of biodiversity.