Dissertation Research: Interspecific interactions over a latitudinal resource gradient: a graphical modeling approach using fig wasps

物种之间的生态相互作用通常是通过寻找物种对之间丰富的相关性来推断的，而忽略了群落其他成员的影响。通过使用计算机模拟和来自复杂昆虫群落(无花果黄蜂)的丰富数据，该项目将确定多物种图形建模方法的准确性，以揭示物种之间有益和拮抗的生态相互作用网络。在确定了最准确的生态相互作用建模方法后，将从巴哈半岛的六个地点收集额外的无花果黄蜂丰度数据，以测试这些相互作用，无论是在物种对水平上还是在整个群落水平上，在大的地理范围内是静态的还是动态的。食物网通常依赖于捕食者-猎物之间的相互作用，涉及所有类型的种间相互作用(包括竞争、互惠和寄生)的更完整的生态网络模型仍然很少。该项目将开发一个更具包容性的生态社区模式。由此产生的模型还将显示生态网络结构如何受到不断变化的环境条件的影响，包括人类造成的栖息地碎片化和全球气候变化。一名研究生和一名本科生将参与这项研究。

Ecological interactions between species are often inferred by looking for correlations in abundance between species pairs while disregarding influences of other members of the community. Through the use of computer simulations and available abundance data from a complex insect community (fig wasps), this project will determine the accuracy of a multi-species graphical modeling approach to reveal networks of beneficial and antagonistic ecological interactions among species. After determining the most accurate method of modeling ecological interactions, additional fig-wasp abundance data will be collected from six locations along the Baja Peninsula to test whether or not these interactions, both at the level of species pairs and communities as a whole, are static or dynamic over a large geographic range.Food webs often rely on predator-prey interactions, and more complete models of ecological networks involving all types of interspecific interactions (including competition, mutualism, and parasitism) are still rare. This project will develop a more inclusive model of ecological communities. The resulting model will also show how the structure of ecological networks is affected by changing environmental conditions, including human-caused habitat fragmentation and global climate change. A graduate student and an undergraduate student will participate in the research.