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

9407615布朗斯坦对互惠共生的研究落后于对有机体之间其他相互作用的研究。互惠互利的几个特征，特别是互惠互利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，在大多数生态系统中，互惠关系是重要而常见的关系。这个项目试图测试一些关于互惠关系如何在自然界中成功存在的新想法。具体地说，PI将测试这样一种观点，即互助者的命运由同时限制双方成功的外部因素联系在一起，这种差异往往抵消了互助者之间的内在冲突。所使用的研究系统是无花果和无花果黄蜂之间的关系。这项研究将提高我们对互惠关系生态学的理解，并阐明外部因素在创造其他内在不稳定系统中的稳定性方面的作用。研究结果可应用于自然保护区的设计和管理，以及农业授粉等方面。

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.