Eco-evolutionary dynamics

生态进化动力学

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04761
• 负责人: Hendry, Andrew
• 金额: $ 4.74万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=713205
• 关键词: Eco; evolutionary; dynamics

Evolution was classically considered to be a very slow force for change. Recent research, however, has revealed that evolution can proceed very rapidly in cases of dramatic environmental change. This rapid (or “contemporary”) evolution should have important consequences for ecological patterns and processes, including population dynamics (e.g., abundances of organisms), community structure (e.g., biodiversity), and ecosystem function (including ecosystem services, such as clean water, natural resources, and agricultural production). These “eco-evolutionary dynamics” have been demonstrated in many studies but nearly all of those studies were conducted in unrealistic laboratory settings. My research seeks to fill this critical information gap by understanding how eco-evolutionary dynamics play out in the real world. This research involves several model systems, including two described here that are particularly well suited for replicated experimental manipulations in nature. In Galpagos, my research focuses on how plants shape the evolution of finch beaks, and how that evolution feeds back to influence plant communities. Two key questions will be addressed. (1) How do evolving finch beak traits (size and shape) influence seed and plant communities? (2) How are specific plant species evolving in response to finch predation? These questions will be addressed through experimental manipulations (exclosures, seed removals, predation experiments) that influence the specific seed types consumed by finches. In North America, the equivalent questions are also two-fold. (1) How do differences in the foraging traits of stickleback fishes influence plankton communities in lakes and, perhaps thereby, whole lake ecosystems? (2) How do specific plankton species evolve in response to foraging by different stickleback types, again with potential consequences for communities and lake ecosystems. These questions will be addressed by introducing stickleback of different types into different lakes from which management agencies have removed all fishes (as a side effect of their efforts to remove invasive fishes). The proposed research will train at least six new PhD students, and more than 30 undergraduate students, in field methods (e.g., collection, observation, experiments), fish rearing (e.g., animal care and behaviour), experimental design (e.g., replication, controls, power), sample processing (e.g., morphometrics, spectroradiometry, stable isotopes), advanced statistics, and publication. Overall, the work will provide key information on the extent to which conservation and management practices should consider evolutionary processes. Perhaps, to a first approximation, evolution can be safely ignored; or, perhaps, evolution should be considered as an integral part of every such endeavor; or, perhaps, evolution is critically important in some cases but not others.

进化传统上被认为是一种非常缓慢的变化力量。然而，最近的研究表明，在环境发生剧烈变化的情况下，进化可以非常迅速地进行。这种快速（或“当代”）进化应对生态模式和过程产生重要影响，包括种群动态（例如生物丰富度）、群落结构（例如生物多样性）和生态系统功能（包括生态系统服务，例如清洁水、自然资源和农业生产）。这些“生态进化动力学”已在许多研究中得到证实，但几乎所有这些研究都是在不切实际的实验室环境中进行的。我的研究旨在通过了解生态进化动力学如何在现实世界中发挥作用来填补这一关键的信息空白。这项研究涉及几个模型系统，包括这里描述的两个特别适合在自然界中重复实验操作的模型系统。 在加拉帕戈斯群岛，我的研究重点是植物如何塑造雀喙的进化，以及这种进化如何反馈影响植物群落。将解决两个关键问题。 (1) 不断进化的雀喙特征（大小和形状）如何影响种子和植物群落？ (2) 特定植物物种如何进化以应对雀科捕食？这些问题将通过影响雀类消耗的特定种子类型的实验操作（排除、种子去除、捕食实验）来解决。 在北美，同样的问题也有两个方面。 (1) 刺鱼觅食特性的差异如何影响湖泊中的浮游生物群落，甚至影响整个湖泊生态系统？ (2) 特定浮游生物物种如何进化以应对不同类型刺鱼的觅食，这同样对群落和湖泊生态系统产生潜在影响。这些问题将通过将不同类型的棘鱼引入不同的湖泊来解决，管理机构已从这些湖泊中清除了所有鱼类（作为清除入侵鱼类努力的副作用）。 拟议的研究将在现场方法（例如收集、观察、实验）、鱼类饲养（例如动物护理和行为）、实验设计（例如复制、控制、功率）、样品处理（例如形态测量、光谱辐射测量、稳定同位素）、高级统计和出版方面培训至少六名新博士生和三十多名本科生。 总体而言，这项工作将提供关于保护和管理实践应在多大程度上考虑进化过程的关键信息。或许，从初步近似来看，进化可以被安全地忽略。或者，也许进化应该被视为每一项此类努力的一个组成部分；或者，也许进化在某些情况下至关重要，但在其他情况下则不然。