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

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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.