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

标题：优势北极苔原苔原的局部适应及其在气候变化中对生态系统反应的影响目前绒毛绒螯蟹是潮湿的草袜苔原的主要成分，但在变暖的条件下容易受到更快速生长的落叶灌木的竞争。该项目有三个目标：1)调查导致阴道毛滴虫局部适应的遗传因素；2)研究自然干扰作为来自较温暖气候的基因型在北方地区草丛苔原建立的机制；3)检验局部适应和适应滞后将对植物物候、光合作用、初级生产力、植物生长和营养循环产生重要影响的假设。这一项目的发现可以作为适应滞后对植物对气候变化反应的潜在影响的一个指标。研究成果将被纳入国际冻土带实验手册，该实验一直是北极长期研究的发展中资源。该项目直接涉及威尔克斯大学(Wilkes)和德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校(University Of Texas At ElPaso)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，而埃尔帕索大学是一所为少数族裔服务的机构。海洋生物实验室还将让学生通过环境科学项目的学期直接参与这项研究，该项目将让学生分析直接从北极项目中获得的数据。威尔克斯-巴雷的K-12年级学生将通过研究从阿拉斯加运来的植物来参与北极研究。埃尔帕索的K-12学生将通过已经建立的项目接触到北极研究，这些项目通过展示研究成果让研究生和高中生接触到。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阴道绒螯蟹局部适应的原因。它将使用生态系统生态学的方法来调查局部适应对阴道棘球绦虫对迅速变暖的气候的反应的后果。遗传标记将用于确定阿拉斯加北部阴道棘球绦虫种群的遗传多样性和基因流模式。揭示潜在的遗传结构和种群遗传动态将为阴道毛滴虫适应气候变化的能力提供重要的洞察。最近的一个烧伤点将用来自不同种群的阴道埃希氏菌播种，以建立苗木和健康的措施，然后利用分子标记鉴定成功的基因型。这些过程将在花园中进行测量，包括移植和暴露在变暖中的植物，并使用开放的密封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.