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、动植物之间的相互作用和群落结构。我们将调查当地淡水物种虹膜六角花对盐度上升、空间隔离和鹿的花卉消耗的反应。以往的研究结果表明，盐度胁迫降低了生物量，但增加了种子产量。相比之下，鹿大规模消耗鲜花会减少种子生产，刺激营养生长。这个跨学科的项目结合了田间实验、植物化学、分子遗传学和预测模型。野外实验将研究盐度和鹿之间的相互作用如何影响六角莲种群的生长、有性繁殖和克隆繁殖以及地下动态。植物化学分析将研究植物对盐分胁迫的生理反应，包括植物激素、营养物质和矿物质、蛋白质和挥发性花卉化合物。遗传分析将揭示淡水种群和盐沼种群内部和之间的差异。定量模型将结合我们的发现来预测植物种群的增长和耐盐性的进化。该项目有助于增进我们对沿海生态系统及其自然社区如何应对全球气候变化的理解。

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.