Climate change as an agent of selection that alters fundamental interactions among a foundation tree species and its herbivore, mutualist and competitor communities

据预测，21世纪全球气候将发生巨大变化，大部分陆地地区预计将出现气温升高和更多极端气候事件。这些变化的后果可能包括动物和植物物种的地理范围的变化，包括许多树种。为预测植物和动物对气候变化的反应而开发的模型往往没有考虑到一个物种成员内部遗传变异的重要性，也没有考虑到该物种与其他生物的相互作用，这可能会减缓或加速分布变化。本研究验证了一个假设，即气候变化对树种及其相关群落的最终影响将源于不同树种基因型对气候压力和与之相互作用的草食动物、竞争者和共生动物的反应之间的相互作用。具体来说，本研究考察了植物对昆虫食草性的抗性和易感性的遗传变异对树木对干旱反应的影响，这是通过与灌木的相互作用介导的，灌木与树木竞争水和土壤真菌，从而增强对土壤资源的吸收。该项目包括种群遗传分析，以及小松（Pinus edulis）的田间、普通花园和温室研究，这是一种对气候变化特别敏感的广泛分布的树木。该项目的更广泛影响包括学生培训，重点是招募代表性不足的少数民族，墨西哥和美国机构之间的学生交流，通过亚利桑那州惩教局对囚犯进行教育，以及向其土地上种植死亡率高的矮松的管理者提供服务。

Global climate is predicted to change dramatically in the 21st century with warmer temperatures and more extreme climate events expected over most land areas. The consequences of these changes may include shifts in the geographical range of animal and plant species, including many species of trees. Models developed to predict plant and animal response to climate change often do not consider the importance of genetic variation within members of a species or the interactions of that species with other organisms, which could slow or hasten distribution shifts. This study tests the hypothesis that the ultimate effect of climate change on a tree species and its associated community will result from the interplay between the responses of different tree genotypes to both climate stresses and to the herbivores, competitors and mutualists with which the trees interact. Specifically, this research examines the influence of genetic variation in resistance and susceptibility to insect herbivory on tree responses to drought as mediated by interactions with shrubs that compete with trees for water and soil fungi that enhance uptake of soil resources. The project involves population genetic analysis, and field, common garden and greenhouse studies of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), a widespread tree particularly sensitive to climate change. The broader impacts of this project include student training with an emphasis on recruitment of underrepresented minorities, student exchanges between Mexican and US institutions, education of prisoners through the Arizona Department of Corrections and outreach to managers whose lands are dominated by pinyon pine suffering high mortality.