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

标题：北极苔原优势莎草（Eriophorum vaginatum）的局部适应及其对气候变化中生态系统响应的影响目前，Eriophorum vaginatum是潮湿苔原的主要组成部分，但在变暖条件下，它很容易受到更快生长的落叶灌木的竞争。该项目有三个目标：1)研究导致阴道绦虫局部适应的遗传因素；2)研究气候变暖导致基因型在北方地区苔原地区建立的自然干扰机制；3)验证局部适应和适应滞后对植物物候、光合作用、初级生产力、植物生长和养分循环的重要影响。本研究结果可作为植物适应滞后对气候变化响应的潜在影响指标。研究结果将被纳入国际冻土带实验手册，该手册已成为长期北极研究的发展资源。该项目直接涉及威尔克斯大学（Wilkes university）和德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校（university of Texas at El Paso）学生的本科生研究经验。威尔克斯大学是一所以本科生为主的大学，德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校是一所少数族裔服务机构。海洋生物实验室还将让学生通过他们的环境科学学期项目直接参与研究，这将让学生分析直接从北极项目获取的数据。威尔克斯-巴雷的K-12学生将参与北极研究，研究从阿拉斯加运来的植物。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，该项目通过研究成果的展示吸引研究生和高中生。本研究将采用分子生态学和种群生物学的方法来研究阴道草的局部适应原因。它将使用生态系统生态学的方法来研究阴道绦虫对快速变暖气候的局部适应的后果。遗传标记将用于确定阿拉斯加北部阴道E. vaginatum种群的遗传多样性和基因流动模式。揭示其潜在的遗传结构和种群遗传动力学将为了解阴道芽孢杆菌适应气候变化的能力提供重要的见解。将在最近的烧伤部位播种来自不同种群的阴道乳杆菌，测量幼苗的建立和健康状况，然后利用分子标记鉴定基因型成功。这一过程将在花园中进行测量，花园中既包括移植物，也包括暴露在暖化环境中的植物，这些花园采用开放式的顶室来模拟南方生态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.