DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Gene flow by seed and pollen: implications for plant adaptation to changing climates

今天生态学家面临的一个关键挑战是了解物种将如何应对预计的气候变化。特别缺乏的是考虑到种群之间的遗传联系将如何影响当地对新气候的适应的方法。在开花植物中，基因流通过种子传播和花粉移动发生，这些过程可能对决定气候耐受性的性状的遗传变异分布产生不同的后果。该项目将把种子和花粉运动的估计纳入对Lasthenia fremontii（菊科）当地适应性的分析，Lasthenia fremontii是北美西部春池湿地特有的一种植物。遗传变异的分布，由于种子与花粉运动，将使用分子标记在物种范围内进行分析。这项分析将使人们有可能评估基因流动对植物种群适应气候变化的潜力的影响。气候变化对世界构成了重大威胁？的生物多样性。分布零散、生境支离破碎和扩散能力有限的物种，包括许多稀有植物物种，特别脆弱，因为它们无法改变其分布以跟踪不断变化的气候状况。我们的项目将大大有助于在气候变化面前恢复和保护分布狭窄的植物物种。我们将为春池植物物种群体遗传学研究制定实用指南，该指南将分发给参与春池生态系统保护和管理的州和联邦机构、研究机构和非营利组织。此外，该项目还将为本科生提供研究经验，包括来自科学领域代表性不足的群体的个人。

A critical challenge for ecologists today is to understand how species will respond to projected shifts in climate. Particularly lacking are approaches considering how genetic connectivity among populations will influence local adaptation to novel climates. In flowering plants, gene flow occurs through seed dispersal and pollen movement, and these processes can have different consequences for the distribution of genetic variation in traits that determine climatic tolerances. This project will incorporate estimates of seed and pollen movement into an analysis of local adaptation in Lasthenia fremontii (Asteraceae), a plant species that is endemic to vernal pool wetlands of western North America. The distribution of genetic variation, due to seed versus pollen movement, will be analyzed across the species range using molecular markers. This analysis will make it possible to evaluate the consequences of gene flow on the potential for plant populations to adapt to changing climate conditions.Climate change presents a major threat to the world?s biodiversity. Species with patchy distributions, fragmented habitats and limited dispersal abilities, including many rare plant species, are particularly vulnerable because they cannot shift their distributions to track changing climatic regimes. Our project will significantly contribute to restoration and conservation efforts for narrowly distributed plant species in the face of climate change. We will develop a practical guide for the study of population genetics in vernal pool plant species that will be distributed to state and federal agencies, research institutes, and non-profit organizations involved in the conservation and management of vernal pool ecosystems. In addition, the project will provide research experience to undergraduate students, including individuals from groups underrepresented in the sciences.