CAREER: Environmental Heterogeneity, Population Structure, and Larval Life History Evolution of Rana sylvatica

纽曼9733276该项目基于两个前提：1)通过整合分子遗传技术和生态实地研究，可以获得对基本生态和进化过程的独特见解；2)各级(从小学到研究生院)的科学和环境教育和培训可以与高质量的基础研究相结合。研究的重点是环境变化对适应进化和种群增长的影响。种群经历的变异范围取决于地理和时间变异模式，相对于个体的运动模式。在较长的一段时间内，许多因素决定了人口是适应广泛的条件还是适应较窄的当地条件。这些因素包括种群的分布、不同地点的相对存活率和生殖成功，以及这些地点之间的杂交。这些因素还有助于确定当地种群的丰度在多大程度上受到大范围环境变化的影响，或者更多地是当地栖息地质量的函数。这些问题是我们理解基本种群过程的基础，对于更多的应用关注，如在零散的栖息地或改变的景观中保护物种，是至关重要的。这项研究将集中在大平原北部的林蛙上。该地区拥有众多多样的湿地或草原洞穴，为各种野生动物提供了生存空间。草原坑洼湿地在几个环境因素上存在差异，如池塘持续时间和水化学物质，这些因素会影响生存和繁殖。周围的景观也同样多样，包括相对未受干扰的草地的碎片，更受干扰的牧场，以及大片集约化管理的农地。这项研究将量化用于繁殖的湿地的环境变化，蝌蚪生长和发育随栖息地特征的变化，以及青蛙在湿地之间的扩散。为了确定长期的杂交模式，将使用DNA“标记”来量化来自不同湿地的青蛙的遗传相似性模式。该项目还提供了一个极好的机会，将研究与科学培训和各级教育中的环境教育结合起来。研究与教育的结合是自然而然的；学习生态学并欣赏知识产生和应用过程的最佳方式是参与研究。接触研究的学生将为高等教育和潜在的科学职业做好更好的准备，同样重要的是，他们将成为更有洞察力的公民。每年春季学期，当地一所高中的两名研究生、两名本科生和两名学生将参加一门湿地生态学课程。课程结束后，将有一个夏季的研究活动。在秋季学期，学生将准备关于湿地生态的书面报告和演讲，并在学区的K-12科学课上发表演讲。北达科他州大学生物系的课程--以及北达科他州农村的科学教育--都将得到加强，从而使下一代农民和农村土地所有者受益。

Newman 9733276 This project is based on two premises: 1) that unique insights into fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes can be gained by integrating molecular genetic techniques and ecological field studies; and 2) that science and environmental education and training at all levels (grade school through graduate school) can be integrated synergistically with high quality basic research. The focus of the research is the impact of environmental variation on adaptive evolution and population growth. The range of variation experienced by a population depends on geographic and temporal patterns of variation, relative to movement patterns of individuals. Over an extended period of time, many factors determine whether populations adapt to a wide range of conditions or to a narrower range of local conditions. These factors include the distribution of populations, relative survival and reproductive success in different locations, and interbreeding among these locations. These factors also help determine the extent to which local abundance of populations is affected by environmental variation over a wide area, or is more a function of local habitat quality. These questions are fundamental to our understanding of basic population processes, and are critical to more applied concerns such as conservation of species in fragmented habitats or altered landscapes. The research will focus on wood frogs of the northern Great Plains. This region contains numerous, diverse wetlands, or prairie potholes, that support a variety of wildlife. Prairie pothole wetlands vary in several environmental factors, such as pond duration and water chemistry, that affect survival and reproduction. The surrounding landscape is equally diverse, including fragments of relatively undisturbed grassland, more disturbed grazing land, and large tracts of intensively managed agricultural land. The research will quantify environmental variation in the wetlands used for breeding, variation in tadpole growth and dev elopment as a function of habitat characteristics, and dispersal of frogs between wetlands. In order to determine long-term patterns of interbreeding, DNA "markers" will be used to quantify patterns of genetic similarity of frogs from different wetlands. The project also offers an excellent opportunity to integrate research with scientific training and environmental education at all educational levels. The integration of research and education is a natural one; the best way to learn ecology and to gain an appreciation for the process of knowledge generation and application is to be involved in research. Students with exposure to research will be better prepared for higher education and potential careers in science, and just as importantly, they will become more insightful citizens. Each year during the spring semester, two graduate students, two undergraduates and two students from a local high school will participate in a course in wetland ecology. The course will be followed by a summer of research activities. During the fall semester students will prepare written reports and develop presentations on wetland ecology that they will deliver to K-12 science classes in their school district. The University of North Dakota Biology Department curriculum--as well as science education in rural North Dakota--will both be enhanced, thus benefiting the next generation of farmers and rural landowners.