BRC-BIO: Effects of urbanization on the evolutionary dynamics of invasive species range expansion

人类正在通过建造城市迅速改变地球。入侵物种种群（即，生活在城市中的外来物种（例如被引入到非自然环境中的物种）可能会因城市条件而进化，从而可能导致它们更快地传播，变得更难控制，并对农业、本土植物和野生动物造成损害。然而，目前尚不清楚城市中的入侵物种是否由于较高的城市温度梯度而倾向于向特定方向进化，或者其他因素是否更重要，例如种群的潜在遗传变异性，而不管环境设置如何。这项研究将产生关于城市如何以及为什么影响入侵物种传播的关键数据。城市规划者和野生动物管理者将能够利用这些数据来帮助防止对农业或其他重要经济活动产生负面影响的入侵物种的传播。该项目还将为高中生和大学生提供各种生物学研究经验，包括那些来自科学领域代表性不足的群体的学生，从而增强STEM的多样性，公平性和包容性。关于城市化对入侵物种范围扩张的进化后果的两个突出问题需要解决：（1）进化过程如何在城乡镶嵌中变化？(2)常设遗传变异如何调节城市化的进化反应？研究人员将使用一种快速传播的入侵物种（斑点灯笼蝇，Lycorma delicatula）的基因组测序以及常见的花园实验，以建立对影响物种范围扩张的城市化的常设遗传变异和进化反应之间关系的机械理解。具体而言，研究人员将使用双消化限制性位点相关测序和低覆盖全基因组测序来鉴定从原生范围（中国）和两个入侵范围（日本和美国）的农村和城市环境中收集的斑点灯笼虫的全基因组单核苷酸多态性。这项研究还将为斑点灯笼蝇产生染色体水平的基因组组装，将其与常见的花园实验进行比较，以寻找农村和城市环境中适应性进化的特征。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Humans are rapidly changing the planet by building cities. Populations of invasive species (i.e., species that have been introduced to an environment where they do not naturally occur) that live in cities may evolve in response to urban conditions in ways that may cause them to spread faster, become harder to control, and cause damage to agriculture and native plants and wildlife. However, it is not known if invasive species in cities tend to evolve in particular directions due to higher urban temperature gradients, or if other factors are more important, like the underlying genetic variability of populations, regardless of the environmental setting. This research will generate critical data on how and why cities affect the spread of invasive species. City planners and wildlife managers will be able to use the data to help prevent the spread of invasive species that negatively impact agriculture or other economically important activities. This project will also provide a variety of biology research experiences for high school and college students, including those from groups who are underrepresented in the sciences and thereby enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.Two outstanding questions regarding the evolutionary consequences of urbanization for invasive species range expansion require resolution: (1) How do evolutionary processes vary across the rural-urban mosaic? (2) How does standing genetic variation mediate evolutionary responses to urbanization? The researcher will use genomic sequencing of a rapidly spreading invasive species (spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula) as well as common garden experiments to build a mechanistic understanding of relationships between standing genetic variation and evolutionary responses to urbanization that affect species range expansions. Specifically, the researcher will use double-digest restriction site associated sequencing and low coverage whole genome sequencing to identify genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms of spotted lanternflies collected from rural and urban environments in the native range (China) and two invasive ranges (Japan and the United States of America). This research will also generate a chromosome-level genome assembly for the spotted lanternfly which will be compared with common garden experiments to look for signatures of adaptive evolution in rural and urban environments. Unprecedented insight into the role of urban environments in the spread of invasive species will be gained, with implications for invasive species management and risk assessment.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.