Evolutionary and ecological processes in human-altered environments

通过人类人口增长、技术和消费，地球的生态系统被改变，以至于变化的环境成为生物多样性的主要栖息地。因此，进化生态学应该超越对自然环境中生物多样性的研究，理解其在人类改变的环境中的进化轨迹。确定进化如何在新的生境中对生物多样性的成功或失败做出贡献，扩展了我们对生命对人类影响做出反应的潜力的理解。我们的长期目标是全面了解适应和殖民背后的进化和生态过程，正如鲑鱼所揭示的那样。鲑鱼可能比其他脊椎动物种类更多地被转移到世界上许多地区，在那里它们在新的环境中经历了自然选择。此外，鲑鱼在其活动范围内和范围外都由人工繁殖中心或孵化场生产，以满足生产和保护的双重作用。通过25年来对鲑鱼的研究，包括它们在自然环境中的研究，我们现在将研究它们在人类改变的环境中的进化和生态：自然繁殖范围，外来繁殖范围，以及没有繁殖的外来范围。具体地说，通过在所有三个改变的环境中进行的实地和实验室研究，我们将：(1)量化选择及其对种群的适应性后果；(2)确定哪些过程促进或阻碍成功的适应，以及(3)表征生物多样性进一步进化的潜力。这三种不同类型的人类改变环境的结果将揭示分化的可能性，并揭示正在发挥作用的进化和生态过程。这将提供对生物多样性如何在人类改变的环境中进化的高级理解，并通过管理极大地改善对野生动物的控制。因此，这项研究将既有纯粹的(发现)应用，也有应用(保护和开发)的应用。培养高素质野生动物研究和应用人才，出版与进化和生态学科高度相关的出版物。由于我们正在研究鲑鱼，我们的研究对加拿大人来说具有重要的经济意义，我们的学生肯定会在私人、政府和学术部门受到需求。

Through human population growth, technology and consumption, Earth's ecosystems are modified to the extent that altered environments are the predominant habitat for biodiversity. Evolutionary ecology should therefore move beyond the study of biodiversity in its natural settings to understanding its evolutionary trajectories in human-altered environments. Establishing how evolution contributes to the success or failure of biodiversity in novel habitats expands our understanding of the potential for life to respond to anthropogenic influence. Our long-term objective is a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary and ecological processes underlying adaptation and colonization, as illuminated by salmon. Perhaps more than any other vertebrate taxa, salmonid fishes have been translocated to many regions of the world where they experience natural selection in novel environments. In addition, salmon are produced both within and outside their range, by artificial propagation centers or hatcheries to meet the dual roles of production and conservation. By building on twenty-five years of research on salmon, including in their natural environment, we will now examine their evolution and ecology in human-altered environments: natural range with propagation, exotic range with propagation, and exotic range without propagation. Specifically, through field and lab studies in all three altered environments, we will: (1) quantify selection and the resulting fitness consequences to the population; (2) determine which processes either promote or discourage successful adaptation, and (3) characterize the potential for further evolution of biodiversity. Results from these three different types of human-altered environments will reveal the potential for divergence and expose the evolutionary and ecological processes at play. This will provide an advanced understanding of how biodiversity evolves in human-altered environments, and offer greatly improved control over wildlife through management. Thus the research will have both pure (discovery) and applied (conservation and exploitation) applications. We will train highly qualified personnel for research and its application to wildlife, and generate publications of high relevance to the disciplines of evolution and ecology. Because we are working with salmon, our research is economically important to Canadians and our students are certain to be in demand in private, government and academic sectors.