DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The causes and consequences of asymmetric dispersal: an experimental approach

生物在斑块间移动的能力对进化和生态过程（如基因流动和种群持续性）具有广泛的影响。 理解这些过程往往依赖于假设斑块之间的运动是对称的。在现实中，个人的运动往往遵循环境线索或倾向于向更高质量的栖息地补丁，是不对称的。本研究提出了量化的影响，不对称或定向扩散的集合种群殖民灭绝的动态，因此，斑块人口的持久性。它依靠田间实验来测试不同的行为机制如何影响普通昆虫运动不对称的程度。结果将导致更准确的措施人口连接，从而更准确的集合种群模型 这项研究的结果将以不同的形式提供给四个不同的群体-科学家，管理人员和自然保护主义者，公众和年轻学生。其中一名调查人员是西班牙裔，为来自服务不足群体的本科生提供了有效的榜样。这些团体的本科生将被招募到该项目中，并将使用各种社交媒体（如YouTube，TeacherTube）向年轻科学家和教师传播研究成果。将以英文和西班牙文编写管理人员和决策者手册;这些手册将解释集合种群理论以及如何进行和分析集合种群实验。

The ability of organisms to move among patches has broad implications for evolutionary and ecological processes such as gene flow and population persistence. Understanding these processes often rests on the assumption that movement among patches is symmetric. In reality, individual movement frequently follows environmental cues or tends to be directed toward higher quality habitat patches, and is asymmetric. This study proposes to quantify the effects of asymmetric or directional dispersal on metapopulation colonization-extinction dynamics and, therefore, persistence of patchy populations. It relies on field experiments to test how different behavioral mechanisms affect the magnitude of movement asymmetries in a common insect. Results will lead to more accurate measures of population connectivity and thus to more accurate metapopulation models Results from the study will be made available in different formats to four distinct groups - scientists, managers and conservationists, the general public, and young students. One of the investigators is Hispanic and serves as an effective role model for undergraduates from under-served groups. Undergraduates from these groups will be recruited to the project, and diverse social media (such as YouTube, TeacherTube) will be used to disseminate research results to young scientists and teachers. Manuals for managers and policy makers will be produced in both English and Spanish; these will explain metapopulation theory and how to conduct and analyze metapopulation experiments.