Planning Visit to Australia for Parallel Long-Term Studies of Eucalyptus and Populus

OISE 0439125北亚利桑那大学托马斯·惠瑟姆这次计划访问将使北亚利桑那大学的托马斯·惠瑟姆博士和他的几名学生和博士后研究员与塔斯马尼亚大学的布拉德·波茨博士和他的研究小组讨论研究计划，并检查他的桉树实验林。他们打算在美国用杨树来复制这些实验森林，并在亚利桑那州与波茨博士在塔斯马尼亚对桉树的长期研究协调相同的实地实验。惠瑟姆博士最近的研究考察了亚利桑那州杨树自然林分遗传变异对生态系统的影响（即，从叶片化学到凋落叶分解、营养循环和生产力的反馈）。他打算在塔斯马尼亚州对桉树进行类似的研究。这次访问将使博士有可能。Whitham和Potts最终确定了未来五年在美国和澳大利亚使用的具体实验和方法。当今生态学中最基本的问题之一是群落结构的遗传基础以及群落的遗传和进化。这些美国和澳大利亚研究人员的工作重点是研究树木遗传变异、叶片化学特性、生物多样性和生态系统过程之间的联系。他们感兴趣的是表征寄主植物遗传的普遍性，作为群落结构和生态系统过程的驱动因素。他们计划对两种优势但在系统发育和地理上不同的植物物种进行平行研究，将为将植物遗传学与群落和生态系统过程联系起来提供基础。更广泛的影响对各大洲森林的比较长期实验研究对于检验关于群落遗传和进化的关键假设的普遍性至关重要。这些基于遗传学的假设对保护生物学、土地管理和转基因的新领域具有重大意义，在这些领域，释放转基因生物可能会产生社区和生态系统后果。计划在美国和澳大利亚进行的共同实验将涉及本科生、研究生和博士后，并有助于他们的培训和国际经验。这项研究也将促进新兴的群体遗传学在全球的发展。

OISE 0439125Thomas Whitham, Northern Arizona UniversityThis planning visit will enable Dr. Thomas Whitham of Northern Arizona University and several of his students and postdoctoral fellows to discuss research plans with Dr. Brad Potts and his research group of the University of Tasmania and examine his Eucalyptus experimental forests. They intend to replicate these experimental forests in the U.S. using Populus trees and coordinate identical field experiments in Arizona with Dr. Potts longstanding research on Eucalyptus trees in Tasmania. Dr. Whitham's recent research has examined the ecosystem consequences of genetic variations in natural stands of Populus in Arizona (i.e., the feedback from leaf chemistry to leaf litter decomposition, nutrient cycling and productivity.) He intends to set up similar studies on Eucalyptus in Tasmania. This visit will make it possible for Drs. Whitham and Potts to finalize the specific experiments and methods to be used in both the U.S. and Australia over the next five years. Intellectual MeritAmong the most fundamental issues in ecology today are the genetic basis of community structure and the heritability and evolution of communities. The work of these U.S. and Australian investigators focuses on links between genetic variation in trees, leaf chemical traits, biodiversity and ecosystem processes. They are interested in characterizing the generality of host plant genetics as a driver of community structure and ecosystem processes. The parallel studies they plan on two dominant but phylogenetically and geographically distinct plant species will provide the basis to link plant genetics to community and ecosystem processes. Broader ImpactsComparative long-term experimental research on forests across continents is crucial for testing the generality of key hypotheses about community genetics and evolution. These genetic-based hypotheses have major implications for the fields of conservation biology, land management and the new field of transgenics where the release of modified organisms is likely to have community and ecosystem consequences. The planned common experiments in the U.S. and Australia will involve undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and contribute to their training and international experience. This research will also enhance the global development of the newly emerging discipline of community genetics.