Environmental Biology: Conservation of Biodiversity

格尔-9552836雷克斯NSF的支持被要求制定一个研究生培训计划，在生物多样性保护的一部分，我们最近成立的环境生物学博士课程。拟议的计划有一个先进的生态学，保护生物学，统计学和公共政策所需的核心课程。该计划的一个创新特点是，它侧重于整合遗传和生态方法以及人口，社区和景观水平的相互作用。此外，该方案强调了时间和空间尺度变化在解决环境问题的方法中的重要性。学生将获得第一手的实践经验，通过做两个学期的轮换在教师实验室进行研究的组织水平以外的论文主题。这些实验室实习将通过前往研究地点，学生将学习采样技术和野外生物学的挑战来加强。该计划包括其他重要技能的广泛培训，包括使用现代人口遗传技术和地理信息系统，以量化和分析生态系统中的空间关系。 学生将有机会学习各种分析方法，包括人口建模和生态系统模拟。 团队授课的案例研究研讨会，重点是最近的新英格兰渔业崩溃等主题，将给学生一个环境管理的历史观点。总之，这些组成部分将为学生提供（1）一个概念框架，以了解负责生物多样性的演变和维持的机制，（2）在温带和热带地区陆地和海洋生态系统的实地经验，（3）掌握实地采样，统计分析，种群结构的遗传决定，（4）认识科学家、管理人员、政治家和公众在环境政策的制定和实施中所发挥的不同作用。 该提案概述了环境生物学以下领域的十九个参与教师的研究活动：生物多样性的时空模式;人口动态，集合种群和社区结构;生物地球化学周期和社区结构;测量遗传变异;育种系统和生育力;野生，圈养和驯化物种的种质资源;和系统。参与培训计划的教师有来自各种外部来源的广泛研究资金。他们的研究超越了保护生物学中几个子学科的传统界限，整合了从生物组织的各个层面出现的发现，并涉及从本地到全球的一系列空间尺度。实习计划的协作组织鼓励学生与生物学，环境科学和地理系的教授以及新英格兰水族馆和富兰克林公园动物园的科学家合作。 我们有一个不寻常的机会，将这种广泛的专业知识转化为一个连贯的培训计划。 马萨诸塞州波士顿大学是一所城市大学，拥有多元化的学生群体，并致力于招收代表性不足的少数民族和学术卓越。生物系拥有丰富的经验，通过我们的麦克奈尔成就计划在科学和我们的夏季研究经验本科生（REU）在生态学和保护生物学促进少数民族和女性本科科学家的发展。这些项目，沿着我们在新英格兰高等教育委员会和其他大学的几个科学少数民族项目的联系，将大大促进我们的招聘工作。 本提案中要求的五个traineesh ip中至少有两个将授予代表性不足的少数民族。 该大学已投入主要资源，研究生水平的环境计划的发展。波士顿校园管理局已同意为特别研讨会系列，讲习班和访问预约提供额外资金。这些活动将补充培训方案，并使社区和广大公众获得教育惠益。

GER-9552836 Rex NSF support is requested to develop a graduate training program in Conservation of Biodiversity as part of our recently established doctoral program in Environmental Biology. The proposed program has a required core curriculum in advanced ecology, conservation biology, statistics and public policy. An innovative feature of the program is that it focuses on integrating genetic and ecological approaches and interactions across population, community and landscape levels. Furthermore, the program stresses the importance of variation in temporal and spatial scales in approaches to solving environmental problems. Students will acquire first-hand practical experience by doing two semester- long rotations in faculty laboratories that conduct research on levels of organization outside their dissertation topic. These laboratory internships will be augmented by trips to study sites where students will learn about sampling techniques and the challenges of field biology. The program encompasses extensive training in other important skills including the use of modern population genetic techniques, and of geographic information systems, to quantify and analyze spatial relationships in ecosystems. Students will have the opportunity to learn a variety of analytical methods including population modeling and ecosystem simulation. Team-taught case-study seminars, focusing on such topics as the recent collapse of the New England fisheries, will give students an historical perspective on environmental management. Together, these components will provide students with (1) a conceptual framework to understand the mechanisms responsible for the evolution and maintenance of biodiversity, (2) field experience in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems at temperate and tropical latitudes, (3) a mastery of practical skills for filed sampling, statistical analysis, genetic determination of population structure, and spatial mapping and (4) an apprecia tion of the different roles played by scientists, managers, politicians and the public in the development and implementation of environmental policy. The proposal outlines the research activities of nineteen participating faculty in the following areas of Environmental Biology: Spatiotemporal patterns in biodiversity; Population dynamics, metapopulations and community structure; Biogeochemical cycles and community structure; Measuring genetic variation; Breeding systems and fertility; Germplasm resources in wild, captive and domesticated species; and Systematic. Faculty members involved in the training program have extensive funding for research from a variety of external sources. Their research transcends traditional boundaries of several subdisciplines within conservation biology, integrates findings emerging from various levels of biological organization and deals with a range of spatial scales from local to global. The collaborative organization of the traineeship program encourages students to work with professors in the Biology, Environmental Science and Geography departments, as well as with scientists at the New England Aquarium and the Franklin Park Zoo. We have an unusual opportunity to translate this broad expertise into a coherent training program. The University of Massachusetts Boston is an urban university with a diverse student body and a strong commitment to recruiting underrepresented minorities and to academic excellence. The Biology Department has extensive experience fostering the development of minority and women undergraduate scientists through our McNair Achievement program in the Science and our summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Ecology and Conservation Biology. These programs, along with our contacts at the New England Board of Higher Education and several science minority programs at other universities, will greatly facilitate our recruiting efforts. At least two of the five traineesh ips requested in this proposal will be awarded to underrepresented minorities. The University has devoted major resources to the development of graduate level environmental programs. The Boston campus Administration has agreed to provide additional funds for special seminar series, workshops, and visiting appointments. These activities will complement the traineeship program, and make the education benefits available to the community and the public at large.