Dissertation Research: Climatic warming shapes the structure of function of natural communities: an experimental test with ants

气候变暖正在改变物种出现的地方，破坏它们之间的相互作用，并改变生态系统的运作方式。与来自佛蒙特州，马萨诸塞州和北卡罗来纳州的科学家合作，拟议的研究在北卡罗来纳州和马萨诸塞州的实地使用实验温度操纵，以检查温度对蚂蚁群落的影响及其对生态系统其他部分的影响。 东部森林中的许多植物依靠蚂蚁传播种子，但目前尚不清楚气候变化如何影响蚂蚁传播种子的方式。在某些情况下，温暖的温度可能会增加蚂蚁的种子传播，但在其他情况下，它可能会完全关闭种子传播，因为一些重要的蚂蚁物种在当地灭绝，并被不传播种子的物种所取代。这项研究将探讨潜在的变暖，间接影响植物群落组成，通过种子传播的互惠关系的变化。此外，这项研究将寻求确定对气候变化反应强烈的物种的特征。这项研究的结果将使人们更好地了解生物多样性对气候变暖的复杂而独特的反应。毫无疑问，温度的变化正在导致物种迁移到其历史范围之外，并影响物种之间的相互作用。了解推动这些变化的机制，并预测其后果，将提高我们规划和减轻变暖对生态系统影响的能力。该项目将通过让来自不同背景和地理区域的本科研究人员参与环境研究的各个方面来教育和培养学生未来的科学事业。气候变暖项目还有一个强有力的公共宣传部分，这是向公众宣传这一重要问题的关键。

Climatic warming is shifting where species occur, disrupting interactions among them, and altering how ecosystems work. In collaboration with scientists from Vermont, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, the proposed research uses an experimental temperature manipulation at field sites in North Carolina and Massachusetts to examine the impact of temperature on ant communities and their influence on the rest of the ecosystem. Many plants in eastern forests rely on ants to disperse their seeds, but it is unknown how changes in climate might affect how, or whether, ants disperse seeds. In some cases, warmer temperatures might increase seed dispersal by ants, but in others, it might totally shut down seed dispersal because some important ant species go locally extinct and are replaced by species that do not disperse seeds. This study will examine the potential for warming to indirectly affect plant community composition through changes in seed dispersal mutualisms. Additionally, this research will seek to determine traits indicative of species that respond strongly to climate change. Results of this research will provide a better understanding of the often complex and idiosyncratic responses of biodiversity to warming.There is little doubt that changes in temperature are causing species to move outside of their historic ranges and are affecting interactions among species. Understanding the mechanisms driving these shifts, and predicting the consequences, will enhance our ability to plan for and mitigate the effects of warming on ecosystems. This project will educate and prepare students for future careers in science by involving undergraduate researchers from diverse backgrounds and geographic regions on all aspects of conducting environmental research. The warming project also has a strong public outreach component, which is key to informing the general public on this important issue.