Evolutionary History of Arctic Biomes

北极生物群落的进化史

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-04569
• 负责人: Adamowicz, Sarah
• 金额: $ 2.91万
• 依托单位: University of Guelph
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=757615
• 关键词: Evolutionary; History; Arctic; Biomes

Biodiversity provides invaluable ecosystem services, such as clean water, pollination, and foods, yet it is facing unprecedented threats from climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and invasive species. The goals of my research program are to understand the evolutionary history, current diversity and distributions, and future of biodiversity in the context of global change. Due to the multiple glacial cycles the Arctic has experienced over the past two million years, the Arctic biome represents an outstanding opportunity to study the influence of dramatic environmental change on biodiversity. A key gap in our understanding of Arctic biodiversity is the role of both dispersal and evolution in biome formation. The current paradigm is that, following the retreat of the glacial ice sheets covering most of northern North America, the Arctic was recolonized by organisms living in ice-free areas (refugia) to the south and in the Northwest (Alaska and Yukon). However, recent research informed by DNA sequence data suggests that this view, mainly based on studies of plants and vertebrates, may be too simple. Our research in the central Canadian high Arctic has instead found unique species of invertebrates and high genetic diversity within some species. These patterns suggest that there may have been sustained occupancy of the North by some populations in high-Arctic refugia, mixing of populations from multiple refugia, and the evolution of unique Arctic life forms. This research program will investigate the relative roles of dispersal from refugia, biological traits, and evolution in the North. We will conduct field work in the Western Canadian Arctic, an understudied region for molecular biodiversity, and will focus upon freshwater invertebrates. We will generate new knowledge of species diversity, genetic and genomic diversity, evolutionary relationships, habitat occupancy, and ecological traits such as trophic level. We will then combine these new data with publicly available information from other geographic regions to quantify the importance of dispersal from southern areas, mixture of populations, and Arctic evolution and diversification, potentially transforming our understanding of the origins of Arctic biodiversity. Applications of this work include predicting geographic range shifts of species due to climate change to inform management efforts, biomonitoring for ecosystem health to mitigate environmental risks associated with natural resource industries (e.g. mining), and developing rapid DNA-based detection systems for potentially invasive or pathogenic species. This research program will train 3 MSc (thesis), 3 Master of Bioinformatics (coursework plus major research project), 3 PhD, 5 undergraduate, and 3 Northern students. This program will help to address the need for employees with training in biological sciences, data analysis, and working in the North for the benefit of Canada's economy and environment.

生物多样性提供了宝贵的生态系统服务，如清洁的水、授粉和食物，但它正面临着气候变化、污染、栖息地丧失和物种入侵等前所未有的威胁。我的研究项目的目标是了解全球变化背景下生物多样性的进化历史、当前的多样性和分布以及未来。由于北极在过去200万年中经历了多次冰期循环，北极生物群系为研究剧烈的环境变化对生物多样性的影响提供了绝佳的机会。在我们对北极生物多样性的理解中，一个关键的空白是生物群落形成过程中扩散和进化的作用。目前的范式是，随着覆盖北美北部大部分地区的冰川冰盖消退，生活在北极南部和西北部（阿拉斯加和育空地区）无冰地区（难民区）的生物重新定居在北极。然而，最近基于DNA序列数据的研究表明，这种主要基于植物和脊椎动物研究的观点可能过于简单。我们在加拿大中部高北极地区的研究发现了独特的无脊椎动物物种和一些物种的高度遗传多样性。这些模式表明，在高北极避难区内，可能有一些种群持续占据北极，来自多个避难区的种群混合，以及独特的北极生命形式的进化。这个研究项目将调查从避难所扩散的相对角色，生物特征，以及在北方的进化。我们将在加拿大西部北极地区进行实地考察，这是一个分子生物多样性研究不足的地区，并将重点放在淡水无脊椎动物上。我们将在物种多样性、遗传和基因组多样性、进化关系、栖息地占用和生态性状（如营养水平）方面产生新的知识。然后，我们将把这些新数据与其他地理区域的公开信息结合起来，量化从南部地区扩散、种群混合、北极进化和多样化的重要性，这可能会改变我们对北极生物多样性起源的理解。这项工作的应用包括预测由于气候变化导致的物种的地理范围变化，为管理工作提供信息；生态系统健康的生物监测，以减轻与自然资源工业（如采矿）相关的环境风险；以及开发基于dna的快速检测系统，用于潜在的入侵或致病物种。本研究项目将培养3名硕士（论文）、3名生物信息学硕士（课程加重大研究项目）、3名博士、5名本科生和3名北方学生。该计划将有助于满足对生物科学、数据分析培训的员工的需求，并为加拿大的经济和环境带来好处。