Dissertation Research: The Effects of Phenotypic Variation on Food Web Architecture and Ecosystem Fluxes: A Dual Tracer Isotope Approach

论文研究：表型变异对食物网结构和生态系统通量的影响：双示踪同位素方法

• 批准号: 1209385
• 负责人: Nelson Hairston
• 金额: $ 1.47万
• 依托单位: Cornell University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-06-01 至 2014-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1209385&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Effects; Phenotypic; Variation

The primary goal of this study is to determine how variation within a single species can influence the transfer of energy and materials in stream food webs. The proposed research will use a model system for evolutionary studies, the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata), to determine how two phenotypes of a single species can influence ecosystem processes in streams. Streams on the island of Trinidad occur in parallel watersheds that have similar environmental gradients with locally adapted populations of guppies. Two phenotypes have been established in previous studies: guppies from streams with predators, and guppies from streams without predators. These two guppy phenotypes are likely to influence the ecosystem in unique ways because of differences in how they feed and what they eat. This study uses a replicated experiment to examine how both guppy phenotype and resource availability influence ecosystems.A better understanding of how within-species variation affects ecological processes will provide additional insight into interactions between ecological and evolutionary processes, which may be widespread and significant. Many people are familiar with guppies because of their prominent role in the aquarium trade, making them an accessible system to communicate scientific research about evolutionary ecology. This work will also inform studies of how land use change alters stream ecosystems.

本研究的主要目标是确定如何在一个单一的物种的变化可以影响流食物网的能量和物质的转移。 拟议的研究将使用一个模型系统进行进化研究，特立尼达孔雀鱼（Poecilia reticulata），以确定一个物种的两种表型如何影响河流中的生态系统过程。 特立尼达岛上的溪流位于平行的流域，这些流域具有与当地适应的孔雀鱼种群相似的环境梯度。 在之前的研究中已经确定了两种表型：来自有捕食者的溪流的孔雀鱼和来自没有捕食者的溪流的孔雀鱼。 这两种孔雀鱼的表型可能会以独特的方式影响生态系统，因为它们的进食方式和食物不同。 本研究通过重复实验研究孔雀鱼的表型和资源可利用性对生态系统的影响，深入了解种内变异对生态过程的影响，将为深入研究生态过程与进化过程之间的相互作用提供新的视角。 许多人都熟悉孔雀鱼，因为它们在水族馆贸易中的突出作用，使它们成为交流进化生态学科学研究的一个可访问系统。 这项工作还将为土地利用变化如何改变河流生态系统的研究提供信息。