DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Role of evolutionary potential in limiting species' distributions

一些植物和动物物种是罕见的，而另一些是广泛的，但所有物种占据有限的区域。这就引出了一个问题：是什么阻止了一个物种通过适应当前或超出当前范围的条件来扩大其范围？这项研究的目的是验证一个假设，即范围限制的产生是因为生态重要特征的遗传变异在范围边缘比在物种中心低。范围内。为了验证这一假设，研究人员将结合人工选择实验，量化一个物种中心和边缘种群关键性状的遗传变异。范围，对红猴花在范围中心和边缘的那些性状的自然选择强度进行实地估计。拟议的研究解决了更广泛的问题，即理解可能限制种群适应的过程。物种边缘的种群？面对全球变化，地理分布可能对物种的持久性尤为重要。因此，对物种边缘种群的调查？地理范围能够适应边缘环境，这对于理解范围如何随着环境变化而变化至关重要。这对野生动物管理者和保护生物学家来说是重要的信息。此外，本研究将为本科生提供许多获得野外生态学、温室实验、数据分析和解释等研究经验的机会。

Some plant and animal species are rare while others are widespread but all species occupy a limited number of areas. This leads to the question of what prevents a species from expanding its range by adapting to conditions at and beyond current range margins. The aim of this research is to test the hypothesis that range limits arise because genetic variation in ecologically important traits is lower at range edges than at the center of a species? range. To address this hypothesis, the investigators will combine artificial selection experiments that quantify genetic variation in key traits for populations from the center and edges of a species? range, with field estimates of the strength of natural selection on those traits at the range center and edges of the scarlet monkeyflower. The proposed research addresses the broader issue of understanding the processes that may constrain adaptation in populations. Populations at the edges of species? geographic distributions may be particularly important to the persistence of species in the face of global change. Consequently, investigations of whether populations at the peripheries of species? geographic ranges can adapt to marginal environments are crucial to understanding how ranges may shift in response to environmental change. This is important information for wildlife managers and conservation biologists. In addition, this research will provide many opportunities for undergraduates to obtain research experience in field ecology, greenhouse experiments, and data analysis and interpretation.