Interactive Roles of Predation and Hybridization on Population Dynamics of an Endangered Lupinus Species

物种引进是全球生物多样性面临的主要威胁之一。目前设计用于探索本地植物物种灭绝风险的模型没有考虑到引入物种可能损害本地物种的两个重要机制：本地植物与其消费者之间关系的改变，以及本地和引进植物物种之间的杂交。这项研究首次将这些因素用于灭绝风险模型。实验将用于测量植物的繁殖率和消费者对它们的影响；遗传学研究将用于测量杂交率。这些结果将用于设计模型，以评估消费者和杂交对种群增长和联邦濒危本地植物物种的长期生存能力的影响。本研究结果将对焦点植物物种的保护具有重要意义，焦点植物物种濒临灭绝，仅在北加州的14个种群中发现。更广泛地说，这项研究应该为未来研究这两种对我们本土植物群的快速灭绝风险铺平道路。这些研究是至关重要的，因为消费者和杂交可能威胁到无数稀有动植物物种。

Species introductions are one of the major threats to global biodiversity. Current models designed to explore risks of extinction for native plant species have not considered two important mechanisms by which introduced species may harm native species: altered relationships between native plants and their consumers, and hybridization between native and introduced plant species. This research represents the first time these factors will be used in an extinction risk model. Experiments will be used to measure plant reproductive rates and the effects of consumers on them; genetic studies will be used to measure hybridization rates. These results will be used to design models that will evaluate the effects of consumers and hybridization on population growth and long-term viability of a federally-endangered, native plant species.The results of this study will have important implications for the conservation of the focal plant species, which is endangered and only found in 14 populations within Northern California. More broadly, this study should pave the way for future research on these two rapidly-acting extinction risks to our native flora. Such studies are of critical importance, since consumers and hybridization may threaten countless rare plant and animal species.