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

[408009] Whitham最近的研究表明，植物杂交带表达的遗传和表型变异对食草昆虫、真菌和鸟类的分布有重要影响。杂交带可能是昆虫物种丰富度和丰度的中心。该项目继续对亚利桑那州棉杨杂交带的生态遗传学进行新的研究。研究人员正在记录与植物基因型相关的昆虫群落，并绘制植物抗性和敏感性性状的遗传图谱。他们正在使用合成种群和普通的花园实验来确定为什么食草动物会聚集在一些杂交动物身上，而不是其他杂交动物。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。这个研究项目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。本研究结果在保护生物学、自然保护区设计、森林和作物病虫害防治等方面具有一定的应用价值。

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.