BIOCOMPLEXITY -- INCUBATION ACTIVITY: Connectivity of Migratory Populations and its Consequences for Population Dynamics and Microevolutionary Processes

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Migration involves the movement of individuals between geographically separated sites, and is a common life history trait in many taxa, including birds. Our understanding of the movement of individuals among populations of migratory species, and the consequences of these movements, remains rudimentary, in large part because tracking individuals has proven near impossible. Recent technological advances, in both molecular genetics and geochemistry (e.g., isotopic tracers), now provide tools that can be used to address these complex questions. We propose to hold two separate workshops to develop and refine an integrated approach for measuring movement and dispersal patterns of migratory birds and for assessing through modeling the consequences of these movements for population dynamics and microevolution. These workshops will bring together experts in the field and will focus on: (1) how data from isotopic, molecular genetic, and population studies can be combined to develop a robust model of the connections between summer and winter populations of migratory species, and (2) the theoretical consequences of strong versus weak population connectivity.A better understanding of migration is central to several issues in ecology, evolution and conservation. The most pressing need, and to date the most seemingly intractable problem, has been in determining (1) the movement patterns of individuals between summer and winter populations and (2) dispersal rates and distances from natal sites to eventual breeding locations. The former is important for determining how limiting factors (including impact of habitat destruction, effects of climate change, etc.) operating in different parts of the birds' annual cycle determine local abundances and thus population dynamics. The latter is needed for assessing gene flow among populations and its effects on local adaptation and speciation. In addition, many migratory songbirds are undergoing population declines, and thus an understanding of the factors that determine their abundances, which could operate in breeding and/or non-breeding periods, is of urgent conservation concern.