SGER: Effects of Strong Hurricanes on Genetic Diversity in Three Species of West Indian Phllostomid Bats

众所周知，强飓风会减少海洋岛屿上鸟类和蝙蝠的数量。然而，目前尚不清楚的是，这些人口损失是否包括岛屿人口遗传多样性的丧失。这项研究将记录2004年9月三次强烈的加勒比飓风对西印度群岛三种蝙蝠种群的遗传影响。它的基本假设是，强飓风减少了蝙蝠种群的遗传多样性，而访植物物种将比食虫物种遭受更大的痛苦。涉及线粒体和核基因的现代DNA技术将用于记录和比较飓风前和飓风后样本的遗传多样性，这些样本来自大开曼群岛的两个物种，它们被飓风伊万摧毁，以及大巴哈马群岛的一个物种，它们被飓风弗朗西斯和珍妮破坏。巴哈马埃克苏马的两个物种的飓风前和飓风后的基因样本将被用作风暴影响的控制；埃克苏马没有受到弗朗西斯和珍妮的严重破坏。这项研究将首次明确记录强风暴对岛屿脊椎动物的遗传影响。飓风造成的遗传多样性丧失降低了岛屿物种的进化潜力，使它们面临灭绝的重大危险。反过来，岛屿上访植物蝙蝠的减少可能会通过减少授粉和种子传播导致植物繁殖成功率降低。以昆虫为食的蝙蝠的消失可能会导致岛屿上害虫问题的增加。

Strong hurricanes are known to reduce population sizes of birds and bats on oceanic islands. Currently unknown, however, is whether these population losses include a loss of genetic diversity in island populations. This study will document the genetic effects of three strong Caribbean hurricanes in September 2004 on populations of three species of West Indian bats. Its basic hypothesis is that strong hurricanes reduce genetic diversity in bat populations and that plant-visiting species will suffer more than insectivorous species. Modern DNA techniques involving both mitochondrial and nuclear genes will be used to document and compare genetic diversity in pre- and post-hurricane samples from two species on Grand Cayman, which was devastated by Hurricane Ivan, and one species on Grand Bahama, which was damaged by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. Pre- and post-hurricane genetic samples from two of these species on Exuma, Bahamas, will be used as a control for storm effects; Exuma was not damaged significantly by Frances and Jeanne. This study will be the first to explicitly document the genetic consequences of strong storms on island vertebrates. Loss of genetic diversity as a result of hurricanes reduces the evolutionary potential of island species and puts them at substantial risk of extinction. Loss of plant-visiting bats on islands, in turn, could cause reduced plant reproductive success via reduced pollination and seed dispersal. Loss of insect-eating bats could lead to increased insect pest problems on islands.