The Use of Cottonwood Hybrid Zones to Examine the Ecological Genetics of Plant-Herbivore Interactions and Community Structure

小行星9408009 近年来的研究表明，植物杂种区的遗传和表型变异对植食性昆虫、真菌和鸟类的分布有重要影响。 杂交区可以是昆虫物种丰富度和丰度的中心。 这个项目继续进行一项新的研究生态遗传学的三角叶杨杂交区在亚利桑那州。 研究人员正在记录昆虫群落与植物基因型的相关性，并绘制植物抗性和易感性性状的遗传图谱。 他们正在使用合成种群和普通花园实验来确定为什么食草动物在一些杂交种上聚集，而在另一些杂交种上却没有。 最后，他们正在确定这些相互作用是否对河岸社区的其他成员产生影响。 这项研究计划正在改变我们对杂交植物在自然群落中的生态重要性的看法。 这项研究的结果在保护生物学，自然保护区的设计，并可能，森林和作物害虫防治的适用性。

9408009 Whitham Recent studies have shown that the genetic and phenotypic variation expressed by in plant hybrid zones has important effects on the distribution of herbivorous insects, fungi, and birds. Hybrid zones can be centers of insect species richness and abundance. This project continues a novel study of the ecological genetics of cottonwoods hybrid zones in Arizona. The investigators are documenting the insect community correlates of plant genotype and making genetic maps of plant resistance and susceptibility traits. They are using synthetic populations and common garden experiments to determine why herbivores accumulate on some hybrids but not others. Finally, they are establishing whether these interactions have affects on other members of the riparian community. This research program is changing our view of the ecological importance of hybrid plants in natural communities. The results of this research have applicability in conservation biology, design of natural reserves, and, potentially, forest and crop pest control.