Collaborative Research: Consequences of consumer adaptation for ecosystem responses to fertilization and food-web perturbations

由于藻类(浮游植物)的增加，特别是产生毒素的浮游植物种类的增加，从化肥和其他来源向水生系统(富营养化)输入的营养物质增加，导致水质恶化。这些毒素对人类和牲畜在淡水和海洋环境中使用地表水构成严重威胁。改善水质的一个策略是通过增加以浮游植物为食的小动物(浮游动物)的数量来管理食物网。然而，实验室研究表明，由于浮游植物毒素对浮游动物生长和繁殖的强烈负面影响，食物网操作可能会失败。先前的研究已经证明，一种常见的浮游动物物种(Daphnia Pulicaria)的个体在以有毒浮游植物为食的能力上存在很大差异。这个项目考察了密歇根州湖泊对毒素的适应对水质的影响。除了这项研究对地表水管理的明显潜在影响外，该项目还专注于群落生态学中两个鲜为人知的普遍现象：捕食者的适应和物种内的特征变化如何影响物种之间的相互作用。因此，即将进行的田间试验将促进基础生态学和应用生态学的发展。该项目还将为密歇根州立大学和奥本大学的研究生和本科生提供实验生态学方面的动手培训，并向初中生和高中生提供相关的外联活动。

Increased nutrient input, from fertilizer and other sources, to aquatic systems (eutrophication) leads to degradation of water quality as a result of increases in algae (phytoplankton), and in particular, phytoplankton species that produce toxins. These toxins are a serious threat to human and livestock uses of surface waters in both freshwater and marine environments. One strategy for improving water quality is to manage the food web by increasing the abundance of small animals (zooplankton) that eat phytoplankton. Laboratory studies have suggested, however, that food-web manipulation may fail because of the strong negative effects of phytoplankton toxins on zooplankton growth and reproduction. Previous research has demonstrated that individuals of a common species of zooplankton (Daphnia pulicaria) vary greatly in their ability to grow on a diet of toxic phytoplankton. This project examines the consequences of adaptation to toxins for water quality in lakes in Michigan. In addition to the obvious potential impact of this research on the management of surface waters, the project focuses on two little-studied general phenomena in community ecology: how predator adaptation and trait variation within species affect species interactions. Consequently, the field experiments to be conducted will advance both basic and applied ecology. The project will also provide hands-on training in experimental ecology to graduate and undergraduate students at Michigan State University and Auburn University and provide related outreach activities to middle and high school students.