Dissertation Research: The Effect of Inbreeding on Nitrogen-use-efficiency

氮沉积、生境碎片化和近亲繁殖会降低植物种群持续存在的可能性。虽然许多研究探索单一干扰的影响，但本土植物种群可能会经历多个和同时的干扰。个体获取和利用氮的效率(NUE)影响种群对氮沉积的反应。这种反应对近亲交配很敏感，这种近亲交配是由能降低NUE的碎片引起的。因此，一起研究这些扰动是很重要的。温室实验近亲交配植物的研究将解决近亲交配对氮素获取和利用的量化影响。对碎片化种群的实地研究将解决碎片化对近亲交配和NUE的影响。这些经验研究的结果将被用来预测碎片化景观中植物对氮沉积增加的反应。这些研究将检验以前记载的种群对扰动反应的机制基础。这项工作涉及对生态特有属性NUE的定量遗传分析，将把遗传学纳入生态系统和群落生态学研究。种群持久性是个体对环境做出不同反应的产物。同时考虑遗传和环境对种群动态的贡献是至关重要的，因为保护生物学家和其他科学家对未来的持久性做出预测。

Nitrogen deposition, habitat fragmentation, and inbreeding can reduce the likelihood that a plant population may persist. While many studies explore the effect of a single disturbance, native plant populations are likely to experience multiple and simultaneous disturbances. The efficiency with which individuals acquire and use nitrogen (NUE) affects the response of populations to nitrogen deposition. This response is sensitive to inbreeding caused by fragmentation that can reduce NUE. It is therefore important to investigate these perturbations together. Greenhouse studies with experimentally inbred plants will address the quantitative effect of inbreeding on the acquisition and use of nitrogen. Field studies of fragmented populations will address the effect of fragmentation on inbreeding and NUE. The results of these empirical studies will be used to predict the response of plants in fragmented landscapes to increased nitrogen deposition. These studies will examine the mechanistic basis underlying previously documented responses of populations to perturbation. The work, involving quantitative genetic analysis of the ecologically specific attribute NUE will incorporate genetics into ecosystem and community ecological study. Population persistence is a product of individuals' varied responses to the environment. Simultaneous consideration of genetic and environmental contributions to population dynamics is essential as conservation biologists and other scientists make predictions about future persistence.