Plant Hybrid Zones as Focal Points of Insect Biodiversity and Bridges for Host Shifting

很少有人知道杂交植物和区域如何影响 食草动物的分布和进化 昆虫的研究 这些研究人员证明， 不应再被视为异常现象， 重要的相互作用发生在这些无与伦比的 遗传变异性 拟议的工作将继续这些 研究解决3个主要假设，具有深远的影响 对理解植物-食草动物相互作用的影响。 第一，天然植物杂交区是昆虫的聚集地吗 生物多样性？ 如果为真，这些区域的丢失可能导致 许多昆虫物种灭绝。 因为濒危物种 1973年的物种法案不保护杂交植物， 这个问题从基础和应用两个方面都很重要 视角 第二，自然植物杂交区是否充当 桥梁，促进昆虫和病原体宿主转移？ 杂交中间体可以被昆虫用作垫脚石， 逐渐从一种植物转移到另一种植物。 如果这是真的， 这一过程将代表一种全新的观点， 和病原体宿主转移。 第三， 易感的杂交种会影响昆虫的进化， 阻止它们适应具有抗性的寄主植物 在这里，研究人员将研究混合的影响， 植物种群的抗性和易感性， 影响昆虫的进化 这个问题很重要 对了解昆虫分布的影响， 影响昆虫管理措施。 这项研究将提供 对混合动力汽车的全面理解做出了重要贡献。 在进化过程中可能极其重要的栖息地 以及植物生态学和食草昆虫。

Little is know about how hybrid plants and zones affect herbivore distributions and evolution. Studies of insects on cottonwoods by these investigators demonstrated that hybrids should no longer be treated as anomalies and that fundamentally important interactions occur in these zones of unparalleled genetic variability. The proposed work will continue these studies to address 3 major hypotheses that have far reaching implications for understanding plant-herbivore interactions. First, are natural plant hybrid zones focal points of insects biodiversity? If true the loss of these zones may results in the extinction of many insect species. Because the Endangered Species Act of 1973 does not protect hybrid plants, studies of this issue are important from both basic and applied perspectives. Second, do natural plant hybrid zones act as bridges that facilitate insect and pathogen host shifting? Hybrid intermediates may be used by insects as stepping stones to gradually shift from one plant species to another. If true, this process would represent a fundamentally new view of how insects and pathogens host shift. Third, does the presence of susceptible hybrids affect insect evolution and perhaps even prevent them from becoming adapted to resistant host plants? Here the investigators will examine the implications of mixed resistance and susceptibility in plant populations as it might affect insect evolution. This question has important implications for understanding insect distributions and could affect insect management practices. This research will provide an important contribution to the overall understanding of hybrid zones, potentially extremely important habitats in the evolution and ecology of plants herbivores insects.