Salinity, Florivory, and the Evolutionary Ecology of Iris Hexagona

自然群落对不断变化的环境的适应日益受到实际关注。海平面上升和盐度增加正在影响沿海生态系统、植物和动物之间的相互作用以及群落结构。我们将研究鸢尾（Iris hexona）是一种本地淡水物种，它如何对盐度上升、空间隔离和鹿的食花做出反应。先前的研究结果表明，盐度胁迫降低了生物量，但增加了种子产量。相反，鹿的大规模花消耗消除了种子的产生，刺激了营养生长。这个跨学科的项目结合了田间实验、植物化学、分子遗传学和预测建模。野外实验将研究盐度和鹿之间的相互作用如何影响I. hexona种群的生长、有性繁殖和无性繁殖以及地下动态。植物化学分析将研究对盐度胁迫的生理反应，包括植物激素、营养物质和矿物质、蛋白质和挥发性植物化合物。遗传分析将揭示淡水和盐沼水蚤种群内部和之间的变异。定量建模将整合我们的发现来预测植物种群的生长和耐盐性的演变。这个项目可以帮助我们进一步了解沿海生态系统及其自然群落如何应对全球气候变化。

The adaptation of natural communities to changing environments is of growing practical concern. Rising sea levels and increased salinity are impacting coastal ecosystems, interactions between plants and animals, and community structure. We will investigate how Iris hexagona, a native freshwater species, responds to rising salinity, spatial isolation, and flower consumption by deer. Previous results indicate that salinity stress reduces biomass, but increases seed production. In contrast, large-scale flower consumption by deer eliminates seed production and stimulates vegetative growth. This interdisciplinary project combines field experiments, phytochemistry, molecular genetics, and predictive modeling. Field experiments will examine how interactions between salinity and deer influence growth, sexual and clonal reproduction, and belowground dynamics of I. hexagona populations. Phytochemical analyses will investigate physiological responses to salinity stress, including phytohormone, nutrients and minerals, proteins, and volatile floral compounds. Genetic analyses will reveal variation within and between freshwater and saltmarsh I. hexagona populations. Quantitative modeling will integrate our findings to predict plant population growth and the evolution of salinity-tolerance. This project can help advance our understanding of how coastal ecosystems and their natural communities respond to global climate change.