Collaborative research: A molecular approach to larval ecology: development and application to a coastal upwelling system

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Historically, the goal of ecological studies has been to understand the processes that control population density and community structure. However, equally important ecological questions are: why do organisms within a population look different, and what are the population and community consequences of these differences? Surprisingly, only a few ecologists have begun to address both of these questions given that phenotypic plasticity is so prevalent in natural communities. Currently, our understanding of phenotypic plasticity comes from studies that focus on how an organism responds to an environmental condition. As a result, we do not understand how an organism will respond in nature when there is more than one environmental condition that can induce changes. Furthermore, we have a poor understanding of how plasticity in an organism affects other members of its community. We must understand these questions to fully understand the ecology and evolution of phenotypic plasticity.This research program will elucidate the importance of phenotypic plasticity in the context of a community in which multiple predators may induce defenses of prey. o How does prey morphology change in response to the presence of multiple types of predators?o Is the response to multiple types of predators governed by energy limitation or performance?o How effective is plasticity at deterring multiple types of predators?These questions will be addressed by using a foundation species of well-studied communities to quantify the induction of morphological defenses and survivorship in response to the presence of multiple types of predators. Four intensive multi-factorial experiments will be conducted in the laboratory. The first experiment is designed to reveal whether three common types of predators with widely divergent feeding modes induce three different types of morphological defenses in two conspecific mussels. The second experiment will quantify in detail the developmental reaction norms of mussels to different types of predators in isolation and compare the magnitude and rate of the morphological response with the energetic costs. The third experiment will quantify how morphological responses to one type of predator are affected by the presence of another type of predator. The fourth experiment will determine the effectiveness of plasticity in deterring two types of predators at once. The research is the next logical step in an exciting and rapidly developing field of study, and it will open the doors to a much better understanding of the ecological ramifications of plasticity in natural communities. On broader impacts, this research will support one postdoctoral associate, one graduate student and one undergraduate student, and will create new research opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds from local high schools, two undergraduate institutions and the University of California, Davis. The postdoc and graduate student will help in mentoring undergraduate students, training students in the classroom, presenting results at scientific meetings and to popular audiences, and publishing results in scientific journals and popular periodicals.