Collaborative Research: Dimensions: The role of taxonomic, functional, genetic, and landscape diversity in food web responses to a changing environment

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The proposed research will address how genetic, taxonomic, ecological, and landscape diversity affect the natural control of agricultural pests by predators. The study will focus on three crops (corn, alfalfa, and soybean) and the group of aphid species that attacks them. Aphids are normally kept in check by roughly 20 common predators. Because these predators move frequently among fields and other habitats, their ability to suppress aphids depends upon the diversity of the landscape. Furthermore, aphids contain bacterial symbionts that give their insect hosts tolerance to high temperatures. These symbionts thus make it possible for aphids to evolve in response to global warming. The proposed research will use remote sensing, field experiments, and genetic assays to understand the roles of ecology and evolution in maintaining the natural control of aphid pests. Corn, alfalfa, and soybean dominate the agricultural landscape of much of the USA, and predators naturally suppress many potential agricultural pests. A changing climate, or another anthropogenic environmental change, could break down this natural control, leading to greater pest problems for US agriculture. Understanding how ecological and evolutionary diversity confers resilience against environmental changes could identify warning signs of potential pest problems, and also provide possible solutions. The proposed work will not only address this basic and applied scientific challenge but will also educate the public by enlisting the help of citizen scientists who will sample aphids and predators across the USA, bringing hands-on science into citizen's backyards.