CAREER: COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY OF NECTAR-INHABITING MICROBES

职业：栖息在花蜜中的微生物群落

• 批准号: 1149600
• 负责人: Tadashi Fukami
• 金额: $ 85万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-10-01 至 2017-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1149600&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; COMMUNITY; ASSEMBLY; NECTAR; INHABITING

In ecology, "historical contingency" happens when the composition of species found in a community is influenced by the history of species colonization; i.e., the order and timing in which different species joined over time. This project will investigate the causes and consequences of historical contingency, using a uniquely tractable study system: the communities of nectar-inhabiting fungi and bacteria that develop in the flowers of hummingbird-pollinated shrubs in California. These microorganisms immigrate to flowers via hummingbirds and other pollinators and, upon arrival, use nectar as the resource for reproduction. The researchers will conduct field and laboratory experiments to test four hypotheses about historical contingency: (1) species immigration history is more variable under higher flower density; (2) more variable immigration history results in more variable species composition, affecting species diversity at multiple spatial scales; (3) species-specific traits concerning resource consumption and toxin reduction explain immigration-history effects; and (4) historically induced changes in microbial species composition alters the function of flowers for plant reproduction by altering chemical properties of nectar and, consequently, pollinator visits to flowers.This project will integrate research and education in two ways that make them mutually beneficial. First, with nectar microorganisms used as a case study, a new inquiry-based undergraduate course will be taught. In this course, students will identify and work on unanswered research questions, to learn the scientific process by practicing it. An adaptive strategy will be taken, with an annual cycle of course implementation, course evaluation by science education experts, and incorporation of the evaluators' recommendations the following year. The course will be adaptive in one more sense: each year new research findings will be used as prior knowledge that students can build their hypotheses on. Second, the nectar microbial system will be used for targeted and broad outreach activities. Targeted activities will involve mentoring high-school students from under-represented groups through summer internships. Broad activities will involve running workshops to share experience with teachers from community colleges and high schools and publishing peer-reviewed papers to disseminate the knowledge on science education gained through the undergraduate course and the high-school internship.

在生态学中，“历史偶然性”发生在群落中发现的物种组成受到物种殖民历史的影响时;即，不同物种随着时间的推移结合的顺序和时间。这个项目将调查历史偶然性的原因和后果，使用一个独特的易于处理的研究系统：在加州蜂鸟授粉灌木的花朵中生长的花蜜栖息真菌和细菌的群落。这些微生物通过蜂鸟和其他授粉者迁移到花朵上，到达后，利用花蜜作为繁殖资源。研究人员将通过野外和实验室实验来验证关于历史偶然性的四个假设：（1）在较高的花朵密度下，物种移民历史更具可变性;（2）更可变的移民历史导致更多可变的物种组成，从而在多个空间尺度上影响物种多样性;（3）有关资源消耗和毒素减少的物种特异性特征解释了移民历史效应;（4）物种的迁移历史。（4）历史上引起的微生物种类组成的变化通过改变花蜜的化学性质改变了植物繁殖的花的功能，从而改变了传粉者对花的访问。首先，花蜜微生物作为一个案例研究，一个新的探究为基础的本科课程将被教授。在本课程中，学生将识别并解决尚未解决的研究问题，通过实践来学习科学过程。将采取适应性策略，每年实施一次课程，由科学教育专家进行课程评估，并在第二年纳入评估者的建议。该课程将在另一个意义上是适应性的：每年新的研究成果将被用作学生可以建立他们的假设的先验知识。第二，花蜜微生物系统将用于有针对性的和广泛的推广活动。有针对性的活动将包括通过暑期实习辅导代表性不足群体的高中生。广泛的活动将包括举办讲习班，与社区学院和高中的教师分享经验，并发表同行评审的论文，传播通过本科课程和高中实习获得的科学教育知识。