DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Does genetic similarity of trees explain beta diversity of soil microbes and the strength of negative plant-soil feedbacks in a tropical tree population?

热带森林中的成年树会阻止它们的后代在附近发芽。这种亲子互动可以解释热带森林中物种的高度多样性。这种负相互作用的遗传基础将被研究。将评估成熟树木、幼苗以及土壤中细菌和真菌的遗传多样性。病原菌抗性基因影响生殖和维持多样性的机制将被研究。这些信息将有助于保护和热带植树造林方面的努力。该项目将通过对研究生进行基因技术培训来加强科学队伍。这项研究将是将遗传机制纳入经典的詹森-康奈尔热带雨林幼苗存活和多样性维持假说的首批研究之一。新的证据表明，热带树木与其病原体之间的负植物土壤反馈是特定于基因的(即，同一种群内的树木对同一土壤微生物群的反应不同)。热带树木群落中的植物-土壤反馈是否受遗传控制将取决于树苗遗传相似性、树木遗传相似性和微生物群落-树木群落遗传相似性。对遗传学的分析将补充关于病原菌抗性基因影响种群动态的条件的实验。相似程度将阐明相互作用有效的生物学和空间尺度。遗传和元基因组学技术以及生物信息学方面的培训将为学生提供研究经验。

Adult trees in tropical forests prevent their offspring from sprouting nearby. This parent-offspring interaction can explain high species diversity in tropical forests. The genetic foundation for this negative interaction will be investigated. The genetic diversity of mature trees, seedlings, and bacteria and fungi in the soil will be assessed. The mechanisms by which pathogen-resistant genes influence reproduction and maintain diversity will be examined. Efforts in conservation and in tropical reforestation will be aided by this information. The project will strengthen the scientific workforce by training a graduate student in genetic techniques.This study will be among the first to incorporate a genetic mechanism into the classical Janzen-Connell hypothesis of seedling survival and diversity maintenance in tropical forests. New evidence has shown that negative plant-soil feedbacks between tropical trees and their pathogens are genotype-specific (i.e., trees within a population respond differently to the same soil microbiome). Whether plant-soil feedbacks in tropical tree communities are genetically controlled will be determined for tree-seedling genetic similarity, for tree-tree genetic similarity, and for microbial community - tree community genetic similarity. Analyses of the genetics will complement experiments on the conditions in which pathogen-resistant genes affect population dynamics. The degree of similarities will elucidate the biological and spatial scales at which the interactions are effective. Training in genetic and metagenomics techniques and bioinformatics will provide research experience for the student.