EAGER: The relative contributions of pollen and seed dispersal to gene flow and propagule survival in a tropical palm

许多植物依靠动物为花朵授粉和传播种子。这些服务是重要的，因为大多数植物实际上都扎根在原地，动物提供了它们殖民新地方的唯一机会。 生态学家对种子传播和授粉的相对重要性特别感兴趣。 例如，如果种子传播比授粉更重要，那么种子传播者种群的减少将比授粉者的减少产生更大的生态影响。 该项目将利用遗传技术和实地实验，测试授粉者和种子传播者对热带树木在接近和远离同种母树的条件下生长和生存能力的影响。 研究人员将把他们的工作与教育和可持续发展计划相结合，这些计划旨在改善研究区域的保护成果，这是厄瓜多尔的生物多样性热点。该项目将为本科生、研究生和博士后研究员提供培训，并将利用公开演示、网站、研究设计结合了田间相关数据、实验和分子分析，以解决种子传播如何介导授粉所实现的基因流的初始模式，并调查死亡率模式如何塑造相对贡献。花粉与种子传播的关系。特别关注的是分散种子的遗传“独特性”（即，种子的基因型相对于附近所有其他种子的现有遗传背景）可能影响其存活。该研究系统是一个动物分散的热带棕榈，Oenocarpus bataua，在厄瓜多尔西北部。工作假设是：（1）长距离种子传播将通过引入新的雄配子基因型到种子库中来促进基因流;（2）在控制传播距离和密度后，遗传独特性将与增加的种子和幼苗存活率相关;（3）种子传播对实现基因流的相对贡献将在连续的生命阶段中增加。通过分子分析计算花粉和种子的分散粒。自然散布的种子的存活率将分析与散布距离、同种密度和遗传独特性的关系。一个互补的，基于现场的相互移植实验将操纵遗传的独特性和种子的传播距离，然后提供数据的后续生长和幼苗的生存。最后，遗传结构将在多个年龄段进行比较，从种子到成年。 许多学生将在研究中得到指导。 成果将通过博客和YouTube频道传播，并纳入实地课程。

Many plants rely on animals to pollinate their flowers and disperse their seeds. These services are important because most plants are literally rooted in place, with animals providing one of their only opportunities to colonize new places. Ecologists are especially interested in the relative importance of seed dispersal and pollination. If, for example, seed dispersal is more important than pollination, then declines in seed disperser populations will have greater ecological impacts than declines in pollinators. This project will use genetic techniques and field experiments to test the impact of pollinators and seed dispersers on the ability of a tropical tree to grow and survive under conditions near and far from parent trees of the same species. The researchers will integrate their work with education and sustainable development programs that are designed to improve conservation outcomes in the study area, a biodiversity hotspot in Ecuador. The project will provide training for undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, and will use public presentations, websites, film and video to communicate results to the public.The study design combines correlative data from the field with experiments and molecular analyses to address how seed dispersal mediates the initial pattern of gene flow achieved by pollination and to investigate how patterns of mortality shape the relative contribution of pollen vs. seed dispersal at successive life stages. The particular focus is on how genetic 'uniqueness' of a dispersed seed (i.e., the seed's genotype relative to the existing genetic background of all other seeds nearby) may influence its survival. The study system is an animal-dispersed tropical palm, Oenocarpus bataua, in northwest Ecuador. The working hypotheses are that: (1) long distance seed dispersal will promote gene flow by introducing novel male gametic genotypes into seed pools; (2) after controlling for dispersal distance and density, genetic uniqueness will be associated with increased seed and seedling survival; and, (3) the relative contribution of seed dispersal to realized gene flow will increase across successive life stages. Dispersal kernels will be calculated for both pollen and seeds via molecular analyses. Survival of naturally dispersed seeds will be analyzed in relation to dispersal distance, conspecific density, and genetic uniqueness. A complementary, field-based reciprocal transplant experiment will manipulate genetic uniqueness and dispersal distance of seeds, then provide data on subsequent growth and survival of seedlings. Finally, genetic structure will be compared across multiple age classes, from seed to adult. Many students will be mentored in research. Results will be disseminated through a blog and a YouTube channel, and incorporated into a field course.