Collaborative Research: Local Adaptation in a Dominant Arctic Tundra Sedge (Eriophorum Vaginatum) and its Effects on Ecosystem Response in a Changing Climate

职务名称：在一个占主导地位的北极苔原莎草（Eriophorum vaginatum）的本地适应及其对生态系统响应的影响在不断变化的气候Eriophorum vaginatum是目前的一个主要组成部分，潮湿的草丛苔原，但在变暖的条件下，容易受到竞争更迅速增长的落叶灌木。本研究的目的有三：1）研究导致E.阴道; 2）研究自然干扰作为一种机制，基因型从温暖的气候建立在北方地区的草丛苔原; 3）测试的假设，当地的适应和适应滞后将有重要的后果，植物物候，光合作用，初级生产力，植物生长和养分循环。该项目的研究结果可以作为适应滞后对植物对气候变化反应的潜在影响的指标。研究成果将纳入国际苔原实验手册，该手册一直是北极长期研究的发展资源。该项目直接涉及威尔克斯大学（一所主要是本科生的大学）和德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校（一所少数民族服务机构）的学生的本科生研究经验。海洋生物实验室还将让学生直接通过他们的环境科学学期项目参与研究，该项目将让学生直接分析北极项目的数据。威尔克斯-巴雷的K-12学生将通过研究从阿拉斯加运来的植物参与北极研究。埃尔帕索的K-12学生将通过已经建立的项目接触北极研究，该项目通过介绍研究成果让研究生与高中生参与其中。拟议的研究将使用分子生态学和种群生物学的方法来调查Eriophorum vaginatum当地适应的原因。本研究将运用生态系统生态学的方法，探讨当地适应对E. vaginatum到迅速变暖的气候。遗传标记将被用来确定模式的遗传多样性和基因流的人口E。产于阿拉斯加北方的一种阴道状植物。揭示潜在的遗传结构和群体遗传动力学将提供重要的洞察力的能力，E。vaginatum以适应气候变化。最近的烧伤部位将接种E。来自不同种群的阴道组织，测量幼苗建立和健康状况，然后利用分子标记识别基因型成功。这些过程将在花园中进行测量，其中包括移植植物和暴露在温室中的植物，并使用开顶室来模拟南方生态类型向北迁移和气候变暖的综合影响。

Title: Local adaptation in a dominant arctic tundra sedge (Eriophorum vaginatum) and its effects on ecosystem response in a changing climateEriophorum vaginatum is presently a dominant component of moist tussock tundra, but is susceptible to competition from more rapidly growing deciduous shrubs under warming conditions. The project has three objectives: 1) to investigate the genetic factors that lead to local adaptation in E. vaginatum; 2) to examine natural disturbance as a mechanism for genotypes from warmer climates to establish in tussock tundra of northern regions; and 3) to test the hypothesis that local adaptation and adaptational lag will have important consequences for plant phenology, photosynthesis, primary productivity, plant growth, and nutrient cycling. The findings of this project may serve as an indicator of the potential effects of adaptational lag on plant responses to climate change. Research results will be integrated into the manual for the International Tundra Experiment, which has been a developing resource for long term Arctic research. The project directly involves undergraduate research experience for students at Wilkes, a largely undergraduate university, and University of Texas at El Paso, a minority serving institution. Marine Biological Laboratory also will involve students in the research directly through their Semester in Environmental Sciences program, which will involve students in analyzing data taken directly from the Arctic project. K-12 students in Wilkes-Barre will be involved in Arctic research by studying plants shipped from Alaska. K-12 students in El Paso will be exposed to Arctic research through already established programs that engage graduate students with high school students through presentations of research results.The proposed research will use approaches from molecular ecology and population biology to investigate the causes of local adaptation in Eriophorum vaginatum. It will use methods of ecosystem ecology to investigate the consequences of local adaptation for the response of E. vaginatum to a rapidly warming climate. Genetic markers will be used to determine patterns of genetic diversity and gene flow for populations of E. vaginatum in northern Alaska. Uncovering the underlying genetic structure and population genetic dynamics will provide important insight into the ability for E. vaginatum to adapt to a changing climate. A recent burn site will be seeded with E. vaginatum from different populations with measures of seedling establishment and health followed by identifying genotype success utilizing molecular markers. The processes will be measured in gardens that include both transplants and plants exposed to warming with open-top chambers to simulate the combined effects of northward migration of southern ecotypes and climate warming.