Testing the Effects of Intraspecific Phenotypic Variation on Community Structure and Dynamics in Coastal Lakes: Revisiting Size Selective Predation by Alewives

生态学家长期以来一直在研究物种间生物多样性对生态过程的影响。例如，众所周知，物种认同影响生态相互作用，优势物种、关键物种或生态系统工程师的存在或不存在可以调节群落结构和生态系统功能。相比之下，关于物种内部的变异如何影响生态互动的了解要少得多。该项目将测试淡水期和内陆性斑潜蝇种群生活史的变化对湖泊群落结构和生态系统功能的影响。内陆海燕是一个关键物种，内陆种群和滨水区种群之间的表型差异预计会影响湖泊生态系统。来自全湖实验和比较研究以及小规模实验的结果将解决有关物种内的生物多样性如何影响群落结构和生态系统功能的基本问题。这项工作有三个广泛的影响。首先，这项研究解决了与保护和管理顺水栖斑羚有关的直接管理问题，这是一种联邦政府列入保护关注的物种。其次，这项研究将使当地利益攸关方参与湖泊采样工作，提供外展机会和补充数据收集。第三，这项研究将提供水生生态学的跨学科培训，如1996年NRC关于淡水生态系统教育状况的报告所概述的那样。

Ecologists have long studied consequences of biological diversity among species on ecological processes. For example, it is well established that species identity influences ecological interactions and that the presence or absence of dominant species, keystone species, or ecosystem engineers can regulate community structure and ecosystem function. In contrast, much less is known about how variation within a species affects ecological interactions. This project will test the effects of variation in life history among populations of anadromous and landlocked alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus, on community structure and ecosystem function in lakes. Landlocked alewives are a keystone species, and phenotypic differences between landlocked and anadromous populations are expected to affect lake ecosystems. Results from whole-lake experimental and comparative studies, and small-scale experiments will addresses fundamental questions about how biological diversity within a species influences community structure and ecosystem function. There are three broad impacts of this work. First, the research addresses questions with direct management implications for the conservation and management of anadromous alewives, a federally listed species of conservation concern. Second, the research will engage local stakeholders in a lake sampling effort providing both outreach opportunities and supplemental data collection. Third, the research will provide interdisciplinary training in aquatic ecology as outlined in the 1996 NRC report on the status of education in freshwater ecosystems.