IRCEB: Plant Genetic Structure as a Controlling Factor in Community and Ecosystem Functioning: Studies using Natural and Synthetic Hybrids of a Dominant Riparian Tree

这项研究将量化一种树的遗传变异如何影响一个不同的生物群落，进而影响生态系统水平的过程，如营养循环。测试的预测将包括：1)。种群遗传变异对依赖群落的生物多样性、生产力和稳定性有积极影响。2)遗传变异对关键物种的影响具有很大的潜在影响。3)重要的物种相互作用和群落特征具有可映射到植物基因组的遗传成分。为了研究这些预测，一个由从分子遗传学到生态系统处理等学科组成的科学家组成的团队将对种植园中已知遗传组成的树木进行观察和实验研究，并对从亚利桑那州到阿尔伯塔省的河流系统进行生物地理分析。科学家们对将物种联系在一起形成群落的遗传联系知之甚少，而这些联系影响着生物多样性和生态系统。白杨非常适合这些研究，因为它们表现出巨大的遗传变异，并且是支持高度生物多样性的栖息地中的优势树木，但由于溪流边栖息地的丧失，白杨正在迅速消失。这些研究涉及生态遗传学、群落生态学和保护生物学的主要问题。

This study will quantify how genetic variation in a stream-side tree, cottonwoods, affects a diverse community of organisms, which in turn affect ecosystem-level processes such as nutrient cycling. Predictions tested will include: 1). Genetic variation in the tree population has a positive effect on biodiversity, productivity and stability of the dependent community. 2) The impact of genetic variation on keystone species has great potential to affect communities. 3) Important species interactions and community traits have a genetic component that can be mapped onto the plant genome. To study these predictions, a team of scientists whose disciplines range from molecular genetics to ecosystem processing will observationally and experimentally study stands of trees of known genetic composition in plantations and perform a biogeographic analyses of river systems from Arizona to Alberta.Scientists have a very poor understanding of the genetic links that tie species together to form communities, which affect biodiversity and ecosystems. Cottonwoods are well suited to these studies because they exhibit great genetic variation, and are dominant trees in a habitat that supports high biodiversity, but is rapidly vanishing due to loss of stream-side habitat. These studies address major issues in ecological genetics, community ecology and conservation biology.