Ecological structure of northern arthropods: Adaptation to a changing environment

北极是地球上最脆弱的生态系统之一;它还承受着巨大的环境压力，因为全球变暖的影响在北方纬度感受最强烈。节肢动物具有多样性和快速种群增长的潜力，可以作为环境变化的晴雨表。该提案旨在记录加拿大节肢动物区系的变化，利用来自半个世纪的北方昆虫调查（NIS）的大量但未充分利用的收藏品-这是一项前所未有的倡议，在气候变化尚未成为全球关注的时候，在72个北极，亚北极和北方北方地区取样多样性。我们的首要研究目标是了解北方生物多样性如何适应不断变化的环境。我们将量化节肢动物的生物多样性在加拿大北方三个主要的生态气候区，我们将战略性地选择网站的一部分，加拿大的1947-1962 NIS。我们将从国家信息系统中挖掘数据，并将这些数据与2010-2011年的实地研究联系起来，这将使我们能够有效地记录北方节肢动物的变化和适应;这为评估半个世纪以来气候变化对生物多样性的影响提供了一个无与伦比的机会。对出现在北极的南方昆虫的观察抓住了公众的想象力，激发了好奇心和警惕。我们必须严格收集数据，以识别何时真正发生了变化，而不是仅仅依靠轶事报道，例如远远超出其已知范围的“南方”物种的偶发事件。本研究的主要目的是：（1）研究节肢动物群落结构在北、亚北极和北极生态气候带之间的变化规律和变化程度;（2）研究北方节肢动物群落对近50-60年来气候变化的适应性。（1）利用先进的分子遗传学技术，协助物种鉴定，并帮助阐明较长期的模式;（2）为今后开展研究奠定坚实的基础，包括北方利益攸关方通过教育和培训机会参与研究。

The Arctic is among the most fragile ecosystems on Earth; it is also under immense environmental pressure as the effects of global warming are felt most acutely at northern latitudes. With their diversity and potential for rapid population growth, arthropods can serve as barometers of environmental change. This proposal aims to document changes in Canada's arthropod fauna by capitalizing on the vast but underused collections derived from the half century old Northern Insect Survey (NIS) - an unprecedented initiative that sampled diversity at 72 arctic, subarctic and northern boreal localities at a time when climate change was not yet a global concern. Our overarching research objective is to understand how northern biodiversity has and is adapting to a changing environment. We will quantify arthropod biodiversity across three major ecoclimatic zones in northern Canada, and we will strategically select sites that were part of Canada's 1947-1962 NIS. We will mine data from the NIS, and linking these data with field studies in 2010-2011 will allow us to effectively document change and adaptation of northern arthropods; this provides an unparalleled opportunity to assess impacts of a half-century of changing climates on biodiversity. Observations of southern insects appearing in the Arctic captures the public's imagination, inspiring both curiosity and alarm. We must have rigorously collected data in hand to recognize when change has really occurred, and not rely solely on anecdotal reports, such as the episodic occurrences of 'southern' species far beyond their known range. We have four specific objectives as follows: (1) to test how and to what degree the structure of arthropod communities change between the Boreal, Subarctic, and Arctic Ecoclimatic zones, (2) to assess how northern arthropod communities have adapted to recent (50-60 yr.) changes to their environment, (3) to use cutting-edge molecular genetic techniques to aid species identification and to help elucidate longer-term patterns, and (4) to provide a sound foundation from which to launch future studies, including the participation of northern stakeholders through education and training opportunities.