DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Role of evolutionary potential in limiting species' distributions

论文研究：进化潜力在限制物种分布中的作用

• 批准号: 1210879
• 负责人: Daniel Bush
• 金额: $ 1.5万
• 依托单位: Colorado State 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: 2012-05-15 至 2015-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1210879&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Role; evolutionary; potential

Some plant and animal species are rare while others are widespread but all species occupy a limited number of areas. This leads to the question of what prevents a species from expanding its range by adapting to conditions at and beyond current range margins. The aim of this research is to test the hypothesis that range limits arise because genetic variation in ecologically important traits is lower at range edges than at the center of a species? range. To address this hypothesis, the investigators will combine artificial selection experiments that quantify genetic variation in key traits for populations from the center and edges of a species? range, with field estimates of the strength of natural selection on those traits at the range center and edges of the scarlet monkeyflower. The proposed research addresses the broader issue of understanding the processes that may constrain adaptation in populations. Populations at the edges of species? geographic distributions may be particularly important to the persistence of species in the face of global change. Consequently, investigations of whether populations at the peripheries of species? geographic ranges can adapt to marginal environments are crucial to understanding how ranges may shift in response to environmental change. This is important information for wildlife managers and conservation biologists. In addition, this research will provide many opportunities for undergraduates to obtain research experience in field ecology, greenhouse experiments, and data analysis and interpretation.

一些动植物物种很稀少，而另一些物种分布广泛，但所有物种占据的区域都很有限。这就引出了一个问题，即是什么阻止了一个物种通过适应当前范围边缘或更远的条件来扩大其活动范围。这项研究的目的是检验这样一种假设，即范围限制的产生是因为生态重要性状的遗传变异在范围边缘低于物种中心？射程。为了解决这一假设，研究人员将结合人工选择实验，量化物种中心和边缘群体关键性状的遗传变异？范围，以及对猩红色猴花范围中心和边缘的那些性状的自然选择强度的田间估计。这项拟议的研究涉及更广泛的问题，即了解可能限制种群适应的过程。物种边缘的种群？地理分布可能对物种在全球变化面前的持久性特别重要。因此，关于种群是否处于物种边缘的调查？地理范围可以适应边缘环境对于理解范围如何随着环境变化而变化至关重要。对于野生动物管理者和保护生物学家来说，这是重要的信息。此外，这项研究将为本科生提供许多机会，获得田间生态学、温室实验以及数据分析和解释方面的研究经验。