Collaborative Research: The Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Urbanization on Multispecies Plant-animal Interactions

摘要人类活动已经极大地改变了地球的生态系统。这些变化中最主要的是栖息地的改变，以及将森林、牧场和牧场转变为住宅、学校和商业和工业场所。特别是住房发展（以下简称城市化）正在迅速蔓延。城市化的生态后果受到了相当大的关注，但它对进化的影响是什么？引人注目的例子表明，直接的人类活动，如过度捕捞、狩猎和虫害管理，可以影响作为这些活动目标的物种的模式和进化速度。然而，城市化在多大程度上改变了自然选择对本地非目标物种（尤其是植物）的方向和强度，在很大程度上仍未被探索。本研究的目的是了解城市化如何通过物种相互作用（包括授粉、植花和花蜜掠夺）的变化来改变原生植物的自然选择模式。本文提供了一种强有力的方法来记录城市化导致的物种相互作用模式的变化，利用实验研究分离导致自然选择变化的相互作用，并预测和测试导致这种变化的机制。与北卡罗莱纳植物园的合作将促进研究成果向公众传播，主要研究人员将每年向当地花园俱乐部发表一次演讲。该项目还为本科生和研究生提供培训机会。在许多学生的教育中，参与研究可以是一个重要的学习经验，这项建议提供了多个学术水平的人力资源开发。

Last Modified Date: 12/05/07 Last Modified By: ARUSSEL Abstract Human activities have drastically altered Earth's ecosystems. Chief among these changes is the alteration of habitats and the conversion of forests, pastures, and rangelands into homes, schools, and commercial and industrial sites. Housing development (hereafter referred to as urbanization) in particular is spreading rapidly. The ecological consequences of urbanization have received considerable attention, but what are the evolutionary implications? Striking examples have shown that direct human actions, such as overharvesting, hunting, and pest management, can affect patterns and rates of evolution in the species that are the targets of these activities. Yet, the degree to which urbanization alters the direction and strength of natural selection on native, non-target species, especially plants, remains largely unexplored. The goal of this study is to understand how urbanization alters patterns of natural selection on a native plant through changes in species interactions, including pollination, floral herbivory, and nectar robbing. The proposed work provides a powerful approach to document changes in the patterns of species interactions due to urbanization, isolate interactions responsible for changes in natural selection using experimental studies, and predict and test mechanisms responsible for such changes. Collaboration with the North Carolina Botanical Gardens will facilitate dissemination of research results to the public, and the principal investigators will present one lecture per year to the local garden club. The project also provides training opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students. Participation in research can be a critical learning experience in the education of many students, and this proposal provides for human resource development at multiple academic levels.