IRES Track II: Dynamics, consequences, and management of plant-fungal co-invasions

入侵物种严重破坏了全球和美国的农业、林业和自然生态系统服务。越来越多的人认识到，许多生物入侵实际上是“共同入侵”，即两个或两个以上的入侵物种总是一起入侵，因为它们的成功依赖于彼此。一个普遍的例子是树木（如松树和桉树）及其共生根真菌，它们经常从故意种植的地区逃逸，侵入原生栖息地和其他敏感地区，造成经济和生态破坏。有效地解决这个问题和入侵生物学的相关问题需要一个地理的、国际的视角，这将是两个提议的高级研究所（ASIs，即在国外教授的研究生课程）的基础。我们将进行一对互补的ASIs，澳大利亚和南非各一个，各培养10名美国博士生，为期21天。这些课程的招募将确保训练有素的学生代表美国社会的不同阶层，增强入侵生物学领域传统上代表性不足的群体的代表性。这些课程将教授入侵和共同入侵生物学的基本概念，并将让学生参与解决生物入侵基本问题的国际合作研究。学生将学习解决这些问题所需的前沿领域、实验室和分析技能，并将获得国际网络和专业发展机会，使他们成为该领域的领导者。旅行后的活动将引导每位博士生了解美国当地社区的重要入侵物种问题，并将这些课程传授给大约400名美国高中生。入侵物种对包括美国在内的世界各地的生物多样性和生态系统服务构成了重要威胁。它们有可能减少生物多样性，破坏重要的共同进化的共生关系和物种共存，改变生态系统过程，并产生对生态恢复有抵抗力的新生态系统状态。因此，了解入侵的生态进化动态、其对生物多样性和生态系统功能的影响，以及其动态和恢复如何受到全球变化和极端气候事件的影响是至关重要的。入侵生物学中一个重要的新兴子领域是对共同入侵的研究，其中入侵者的成功和影响取决于与其他物种的共同入侵，例如在整个南半球广泛引入的松树及其共生外生菌根真菌，以及在北半球平行引入的桉树及其外生菌根真菌。有效地解决生物入侵和共同入侵的问题需要一个地理的、国际的视角，这将是这里提出的两个高级研究所（ASIs）的基础。我们提出了两个互补的ASIs，每个ASIs在21天的课程中培训10名美国博士生：ASI #1，入侵和生态系统，将在澳大利亚NWS的霍克斯伯里环境研究所举办，将重点研究植物和真菌入侵的生态系统功能后果，以及入侵的动态和管理如何受到极端气候事件的影响。ASI #2，入侵和进化，将在南非比勒陀利亚的林业和农业生物技术研究所举办，重点关注植物和真菌入侵的进化、系统发育和基因组机制和后果。每个ASI将a)教授研究生入侵生物学的基本概念；B)让学生参与解决生物入侵基本问题的国际合作研究；C)教授学生解决这些问题所需的前沿领域、实验室和分析技能；d)为学生提供国际专业发展机会，使他们成为该领域的领导者。拟议的项目将通过与密西西比大学已建立的项目以及密西西比州两所历史悠久的黑人学院和大学（HBCUs）的研究生项目的招聘合作，增加传统上代表性不足的群体在入侵生物学领域的参与度和领导力。当地高中的研究生培训生在旅行结束后将把入侵生物学的课程带回家，并将其应用到美国的例子中，影响大约400名高中生。这种拓展经验也将为我们的ASI毕业生提供宝贵的经验，将他们的知识综合起来，并将其教授给更广泛的受众。该项目还将通过与两个国家的科学家（以及来自其他六个国家的讲师）建立新的国际伙伴关系，加强美国的研究基础设施；通过潜在的国际研究合作，这些联系将使参与的学生在整个职业生涯中受益。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Invasive species significantly damage agriculture, forestry, and natural ecosystem services globally and in the United States. Increasingly, it is recognized that many biological invasions are actually "co-invasions," in which two or more invasive species always invade together because they depend on each other for their success. One widespread example is that of trees (such as pines and eucalypts) and their symbiotic root fungi, which often escape from areas where they were purposely planted and invade into native habitats and other sensitive areas, where they cause economic and ecological damage. Effectively addressing this and related problems in invasion biology requires a geographic, international perspective, which will be fundamental in the two proposed Advanced Studies Institutes (ASIs, i.e., graduate courses taught abroad). We will conduct a complementary pair of ASIs, one each in Australia and South Africa, each training 10 American PhD students for 21 days. Recruitment for these courses will insure that the trained students represent a diverse cross-section of American society, enhancing representation of traditionally under-represented groups in the field of invasion biology. The courses will teach fundamental concepts of invasion and co-invasion biology, and will involve the students in international collaborative research addressing fundamental questions on biological invasions. Students will learn cutting-edge field, laboratory, and analytical skills needed for addressing these problems, and will also gain international networking and professional development opportunities that will prepare them to be leaders in this field. Post-travel activities will guide each PhD student to learn about important invasive species issues in their local communities in the United States, and to pass along these lessons to approximately 400 American high school students. Invasive species are an important threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide, including in the United States. They have the potential to reduce biodiversity, disrupt important co-evolved mutualisms and species coexistence, alter ecosystem processes, and produce new ecosystem states that are resistant to ecological restoration. It is thus critical to understand the eco-evolutionary dynamics of invasions, their consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and how their dynamics and restoration are influenced by global change and extreme climatic events. An important emerging sub-field within invasion biology is the study of co-invasions, in which the success and impact of an invader depends on co-invasion with other species, such as the widespread introduction of pines and their symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and the parallel introductions of Eucalyptus and their ectomycorrhizal fungi in the Northern Hemisphere. Effectively addressing questions on biological invasions and co-invasions requires a geographic, international perspective, which will be fundamental in the two Advanced Studies Institutes (ASIs) proposed here. We propose two complementary ASIs, each training 10 American PhD students over the course of 21 days: ASI #1, Invasions and Ecosystems, will be hosted at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, NWS, Australia, and will focus on the ecosystem functional consequences of plant & fungal invasions, and how dynamics and management of invasions are affected by extreme climatic events. ASI #2, Invasions and Evolution, will be hosted at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Pretoria, South Africa, and will focus on the evolutionary, phylogenetic, and genomic mechanisms and consequences of plant & fungal invasions. Each ASI will a) teach graduate students fundamental concepts of invasion biology; b) involve the students in international collaborative research addressing fundamental questions on biological invasions; c) teach the students cutting-edge field, laboratory, and analytical skills needed for addressing those questions; and d) provide students with international professional development opportunities that will prepare them to be leaders in this field. The proposed program will increase participation and leadership in invasion biology by groups traditionally under-represented this field, through recruitment partnerships with established programs at the University of Mississippi, as well as with graduate programs at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Mississippi. Post-travel outreach by the graduate student trainees in local high schools will bring home the lessons of invasion biology, applying them to examples in the United States and impacting approximately 400 high school students. This outreach experience will also give our ASI graduates valuable experience synthesizing their knowledge and teaching it to a broader audience. The project will also enhance American research infrastructure by building new international partnerships with scientists in two countries (and with Lecturers from six others); these connections will benefit the participating students throughout their careers through potential international research collaborations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.