Eco-evolutionary dynamics

进化被经典地认为是一种非常缓慢的变革力量。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”）的进化应该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，如清洁水、自然资源和农业生产）。这些“生态进化动力学”已经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。我的研究试图通过理解生态进化动力学在真实的世界中的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，其中包括两个在这里描述的，特别适合于复制实验操作的性质。 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。将讨论两个关键问题。(1)进化中的雀喙特征（大小和形状）如何影响种子和植物群落？(2)特定的植物物种是如何进化以应对雀类捕食的？这些问题将通过实验操作（围栏，种子去除，捕食实验），影响特定的种子类型所消耗的雀类来解决。 在北美，同样的问题也是双重的。(1)棘鱼觅食特征的差异如何影响湖泊中的浮游生物群落，从而影响整个湖泊生态系统？(2)特定的浮游生物物种如何进化以应对不同类型的棘鱼觅食，这也对群落和湖泊生态系统产生了潜在的影响。这些问题将通过在管理机构已清除所有鱼类（作为其清除入侵鱼类努力的副作用）的不同湖泊中引入不同类型的棘鱼来解决。拟议的研究将培训至少6名新的博士生，和30多名本科生，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，形态测量学、光谱辐射测量学、稳定同位素）、高级统计学和出版物。总体而言，这项工作将提供关于养护和管理做法应在多大程度上考虑演变过程的关键信息。也许，在第一种近似下，进化可以被安全地忽略;或者，也许，进化应该被认为是每一个这样的奋进的一个组成部分;或者，也许，进化在某些情况下是至关重要的，但在其他情况下不是。

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.