Molecular phylogenetics of Cecropia: a keystone neotropical pioneer, US-Colombia collaboration

建议摘要：OISE-1132916 PI/机构：威布伦，乔治·D，明尼苏达大学双城分校明尼苏达大学的George Weblen和哥伦比亚安第斯大学的Santiago Madriñan博士提议开展一项新的国际合作，为研究一种重要的热带树木Cecropia及其蚂蚁的生态和进化奠定系统基础。具体地说，PIS计划应用网络分析方法来量化哥伦比亚六个生物地理区域的蚂蚁与植物的联系，这些区域的Cecropia物种多样性很高。对于每个研究地点，PI将开发一个蚂蚁-植物关联矩阵，以量化生态和进化过程在构建生态群落中的相对重要性。PIS致力于将初级科学家纳入拟议的合作中。特别是，该项目将使一名美国博士生有机会接受系统学和生态学方面的跨学科培训，并得到具有系统发育、植物DNA分析和蚂蚁生态学专业知识的哥伦比亚同事的指导。此外，拟议的合作，即PI将分子工作设在样本来源的同一国家，同时共享数字数据，代表了快速系统进展的新模式。这一模式解决了《国际生物多样性公约》中限制发展中国家材料转让的一项要求。此外，PIs和学生将通过向GenBank提交DNA序列、科学出版物和在专业会议上发表演讲来在哥伦比亚和美国之间交换信息。

Abstract Proposal: OISE-1132916 PI/Institution: Weiblen, George D., University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesDr. George Weiblen from the University of Minnesota and Dr. Santiago Madriñan from the Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia propose a new international collaboration to lay down the systematic foundations for studying the ecology and evolution of an important tropical tree,Cecropia,and its ant inhabitants. Specifically the PIs plan to apply a network analytical approach to quantify ant associations with plants across six Colombian bio-geographical regions where the diversity of Cecropia species is high. For each study site the PIs will develop an ant-plant association matrix to quantify the relative importance of ecological and evolutionary processes in assembling ecological communities. The PIs are committed to including junior scientists in the proposed collaboration. In particular this project will give a US PhD student the opportunity to receive interdisciplinary training in systematics and ecology and be mentored by Colombian colleagues with expertise in phylogenetics, plant DNA analysis and ant ecology. Furthermore, the proposed collaboration where the PIs locate the molecular work in the same country where samples originate while sharing digital data, represents a new model for rapid systematic progress. This model addresses a requirement under the International Convention on Biodiversity which restricts material transfer in developing countries. Additionally, the PIs and the students will exchange information between Colombia and the US through the submission of DNA sequences to GenBank, scientific publications, and presentations at professional meetings.