Dissertation Research: The Effect of Inbreeding on Nitrogen-use-efficiency

氮沉降、栖息地破碎化和近亲繁殖会降低植物种群持续存在的可能性。虽然许多研究探索单一干扰的影响，但本地植物种群可能会经历多重同时干扰。个体获取和利用氮的效率影响种群对氮沉降的响应。这种反应对由碎片化引起的近亲繁殖很敏感，这会降低氮肥利用效率。因此，把这些扰动一起研究是很重要的。利用实验自交系植物进行温室研究将解决近交系对氮素获取和利用的数量效应。破碎化种群的实地研究将解决破碎化对近交和氮肥利用的影响。这些实证研究结果将用于预测破碎化景观中植物对氮沉降增加的响应。这些研究将检查先前记录的种群对扰动反应的机制基础。该工作涉及生态特异属性NUE的定量遗传分析，将遗传学纳入生态系统和群落生态学研究。种群持久性是个体对环境的不同反应的产物。在自然保护生物学家和其他科学家预测未来的持久性时，同时考虑遗传和环境对种群动态的影响是至关重要的。

Nitrogen deposition, habitat fragmentation, and inbreeding can reduce the likelihood that a plant population may persist. While many studies explore the effect of a single disturbance, native plant populations are likely to experience multiple and simultaneous disturbances. The efficiency with which individuals acquire and use nitrogen (NUE) affects the response of populations to nitrogen deposition. This response is sensitive to inbreeding caused by fragmentation that can reduce NUE. It is therefore important to investigate these perturbations together. Greenhouse studies with experimentally inbred plants will address the quantitative effect of inbreeding on the acquisition and use of nitrogen. Field studies of fragmented populations will address the effect of fragmentation on inbreeding and NUE. The results of these empirical studies will be used to predict the response of plants in fragmented landscapes to increased nitrogen deposition. These studies will examine the mechanistic basis underlying previously documented responses of populations to perturbation. The work, involving quantitative genetic analysis of the ecologically specific attribute NUE will incorporate genetics into ecosystem and community ecological study. Population persistence is a product of individuals' varied responses to the environment. Simultaneous consideration of genetic and environmental contributions to population dynamics is essential as conservation biologists and other scientists make predictions about future persistence.