Coevolution of Mutualism: Limits to Reproductive Success in a Fig/Pollinator Interaction

小行星9407615 互惠共生的研究已经落后于其他生物体之间的相互作用的研究。 互利共生的几个特征，特别是互利主义者之间固有的利益冲突，表明这些互动可能很容易受到干扰和不稳定。 然而，互惠是大多数生态系统中重要而常见的关系。 这个项目试图测试一些新的想法，关于互惠如何成功地在自然界中持续存在。 具体来说，PI将测试这样一种观点，即互利主义者的命运与同时限制双方成功的外在因素联系在一起，这种差异往往抵消了互利主义者之间的内在冲突。 所用的研究系统是无花果和无花果小蜂之间的关系。 这项研究将提高我们的理解生态的互惠和阐明的作用，外部因素创造稳定，否则固有的不稳定系统。 研究结果可应用于保护生物学，包括自然保护区的设计和管理，以及农业授粉。

9407615 Bronstein The study of mutualism has lagged behind the study of other interactions between organisms. Several features of mutualism, notably the inherent conflicts of interests between mutualists, suggest that these interactions may be easily perturbed and unstable. Yet mutualisms are important and common relationships in most ecosystems. This project attempts to test some new ideas about how mutualisms persist successfully in nature. Specifically, the PI's will test the idea that mutualists' fates are linked by extrinsic factors that simultaneously limit both partners' success, and that this variance often cancels out the inherent conflict between mutualists. The study system used is the relationship between figs and fig wasps. This research will improve our understanding of the ecology of mutualisms and elucidate the role of extrinsic factors in creating stability in otherwise inherently unstable systems. The results may have application in conservation biology, including the design and management nature reserves, and in agricultural pollination.