Dimensions: Coexistence, Herbivore Host Choice, and Plant-Herbivore Evolution in the Recently Radiated and Speciose Neotropical Tree Genus, Inga

热带森林极其多样，这种高度多样性的起源是生物学中的一个中心问题。这个项目将探索植物和以植物(食草动物)为食的昆虫之间的相互作用如何促成这种高度的多样性。植物已经进化出一系列防御系统来保护它们的叶子免受昆虫的侵袭，而昆虫也在不断地进化出反适应能力。尽管人们假设防御进化的速度非常快，但这个进化过程是如何进行的仍然知之甚少。这项研究讨论了草食动物如何推动植物防御的进化，植物防御如何影响草食动物消耗的植物物种，以及植物与草食动物的相互作用可能如何影响热带地区的植物群落组成和多样性，热带是世界上物种最丰富的森林。它将集中于中南美洲五个地点的豆科Inga属树木及其昆虫食草动物的分类、遗传和功能多样性。英加是最特别的树种之一(超过300种)，也是当地种类最多、数量最多的新热带树木之一。这项跨学科的研究将测量植物的防御能力，包括化学毒素、物理防御以及保护性蚂蚁对叶片上含糖蜜腺的吸引力。对食草动物和因加物种的DNA测序将使物种的多样性得以量化，将测试亲缘关系更近的因加物种是否具有更相似的防御系统，并将确定草食动物是否根据其防御系统的相似性来选择宿主。假设如果植物物种的防御能力不同，它们将受到不同草食物种的攻击，从而可以作为邻居共存，从而导致热带森林典型的高度局部多样性。因此，该项目将阐明生物多样性的起源和维持。生物多样性的持续丧失是科学和社会的一个关键问题。这些研究将被传达给不同的受众，以提高他们对自然和科学的欣赏。该团队将为犹他州的学童和家庭创建一个生物多样性剧场，为巴西和秘鲁野外站附近贫困社区的儿童举办Tom Sawyer式的周六科学日，为游客介绍热带多样性，并开发Inga在秘鲁农林中的使用。综合项目还将创建一个开放的、可访问的网站，以共享数据和其他项目成果，并促进其他科学家的相关研究。

Tropical forests are extremely diverse and the origin of such high diversity is a central question in biology. This project will explore how the interactions between plants and the insects that consume plants (herbivores) may contribute to this high diversity. Plants have evolved a battery of defenses to protect their leaves from insects, and insects are continually evolving counter-adaptations. Although it is hypothesized that the rate of defense evolution is extremely fast, how this evolutionary process proceeds is still poorly understood. The research addresses how herbivores drive the evolution of plant defenses, how plant defenses influence which species of plants herbivores consume and how plant-herbivore interactions might influence plant community composition and diversity in the tropics, the most species-rich forests in the world. It will focus on the taxonomic, genetic and functional diversity of trees in the genus Inga (Leguminosae) and its insect herbivores at five sites in Central and South America. Inga is one of the most speciose (more than 300 species) and among the most locally diverse and abundant Neotropical trees. This interdisciplinary study will measure plant defenses, including chemical toxins, physical defenses and the attraction of protective ants to sugar-bearing nectaries on the leaves. DNA sequencing of herbivores and Inga will allow quantification of the diversity of species, will test whether more closely related Inga species have more similar defenses, and will determine whether herbivores choose hosts based on the similarity of their defenses. It is hypothesized that if plant species differ in their defenses, they will be attacked by different herbivore species, and thus can coexist as neighbors, leading to high local diversity typical of tropical forests. Thus this project will shed light on the origin and maintenance of biological diversity. Ongoing loss of biodiversity is a critical issue for science and society. The research will be communicated to different audiences in order to enhance their appreciation of nature and science. The team will create a theater of biodiversity for school children and families in Utah, conduct Tom Sawyer style Saturday science days for children from poor communities near the Brazil and Peru field stations, give presentations on tropical diversity for tourists, and develop the use of Inga in agroforestry in Peru. The integrative project will also create an open, accessible website to share data and other project results, and to facilitate related research by other scientists.