Molecular and evolutionary ecology of species' geographical distributions

所有物种都有其地理分布的局限性-从只能在富氧环境中生存的细菌到只生活在世界一个小角落的植物。什么样的生物因素（即历史、生态和遗传）决定了一个物种在哪里可以生存，在哪里不能生存，这是生物学家和自然资源保护主义者今天面临的一个持久而尚未解决的问题。一方面，我们试图预测和管理未来全球化和气候情景下的动植物分布。另一方面，我们的任务是理解决定物种当前分布的关键因素。最终，一个物种可能只会出现在与其遗传组成相适应的栖息地，也就是说，它所适应的环境。这是一个物种的地理分布及其与生态环境的相互作用的遗传基础，我的研究将解决。我们对与地理分布相关的因素的许多期望是基于建立良好的，但很少测试的理论模型。我的研究将建立在我目前测试植物适应性和地理分布的生态学和遗传学记录的基础上。我将评估的相互作用的栖息地和分散与中性和功能（即重要的健身）遗传变异在沿海沙丘植物。无齿石楠（Cakile edentula）是北美海滩和沙丘植物群的重要成员，具有长距离扩散能力，沿着北美东西海岸分布。现代分子技术，野外生物学和实验操作的结合，将为教学和发现提供一个很好的机会。

All species have limits to their geographical distributions - from the bacteria that survive only in oxygen rich environments to the plant that lives only in one small corner of the world. What biological factors (i.e. history, ecology and genetics) determine where a species can and cannot survive is an enduring yet unresolved question facing biologists and conservationists today. On the one hand, we seek to predict and manage the distributions of plants and animals under future globalization and climatic scenarios. On the other hand, we are tasked with the challenge of understanding the key factors that determine species' current distributions. Ultimately, a species may only occur in habitats that are compatible with its genetic make-up, that is, the environments to which it is adapted. It is the genetic basis to a species' geographic distribution and its interaction with ecological environments that my research will address. Many of our expectations for the factors associated with geographical distributions are based on well established, but infrequently tested theoretical models. My research will build on my current record of testing the ecology and genetics of adaptation and geographical distributions in plants. I will assess the interplay of habitat and dispersal with neutral and functional (i.e. important for fitness) genetic variation in a coastal dune plant. Cakile edentula (Brassicaceae), sea rocket, is a charismatic and important member of the beach and dune flora, has the ability for long distance dispersal, and occurs along both eastern and western North American coastlines. The combination of modern molecular techniques, field biology and experimental manipulations that characterize the research proposed here will provide an excellent opportunity for teaching and discovery.