Dimensions: Collaborative Research: An Integrative Traits-Based Approach to Predicting Variation in Vulnerability of Tropical and Temperate Stream Biodiversity to Climate Change

预测快速气候变化对生物多样性丧失和生态系统功能的影响是一项紧迫的科学挑战。该项目将利用科罗拉多落基山脉和厄瓜多尔安第斯山脉的小溪作为研究系统，实验性地量化物种和生态系统对变暖和降水变化增加的敏感性机制。理论预测，热带河流物种（水生昆虫和青蛙）在生理上比温带物种对变暖或河流流量的更大变化更敏感，而生活在高海拔地区（高山地区）的物种比生活在低地河流（山麓）的物种更敏感。据推测，高海拔物种面临溶解氧减少的风险更大，这将伴随河流变暖。这些预测将通过实验操作高山溪流的流量和测量物种对变暖和氧气减少的生理耐受性来验证。该项目还将利用先进的遗传技术发现新物种，并评估物种在气候变化时在河流之间移动的能力。该研究将为预测物种和河流生态系统对气候变化的响应提供一个新的综合模型。这项工作将提高对热带河流多样性的基础知识，了解这些系统对快速气候变化的脆弱性，为资源管理者提供重要信息。该项目将为本科生、研究生和博士后提供培训。国际合作将通过国际学生和美国学生之间的交流得到加强，包括来自代表性不足群体的学生。该项目结合了对环境政策有用的信息和对下一代生物多样性工作人员的培训。

Predicting the consequences of rapid climate change for biodiversity loss and ecosystem function is an urgent scientific challenge. This project will experimentally quantify mechanisms of species and ecosystem sensitivity to warming and increased variation in precipitation, using small streams in the Colorado Rockies and the Ecuadoran Andes as study systems. Theory predicts tropical stream species (aquatic insects and frogs) will be more physiologically sensitive to warming or greater variability in stream discharge than temperate species, and sensitivity should increase for species living in high elevations (alpine zones) versus lowland streams (foothills). High elevation species are also hypothesized to be at greater risk to reduced dissolved oxygen, which will accompany stream warming. These predictions will be tested by experimental manipulation of flow in alpine streams and measurement of the physiological tolerance of species to warming and reduced oxygen. The project will also discover new species using advanced genetic techniques, and assess the ability of species to move between streams as climate changes. This study will provide a novel, integrative model for predicting species and stream ecosystem responses to climate shifts.This work will advance fundamental knowledge of tropical stream diversity required to understand vulnerability of these systems to rapid climate change, providing important information for resource managers. The project will provide training for several undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs. International collaborations will be strengthened through exchanges between international and US students, including students from underrepresented groups. This project combines both useful information for environmental policy and training of the next generation of the biodiversity workforce.