CAREER: Natural enemies, chemical defenses and the diversification of Amazonian trees

生物学家长期以来一直假设，昆虫和病原体直接参与了植物多样性的起源和维持，特别是在异常多样化的热带雨林中。人们认为，阻止昆虫和病原体的新型化学防御系统的进化，使植物能够扩大它们的地理范围，从而促进新物种的形成。关于攻击热带植物的敌人的身份或分布，以及它们的宿主特异性，人们知之甚少。在这项研究中，来自秘鲁、巴西和法属圭亚那的一种常见的、多样化的热带雨林树木(Protium)的45个物种的种群将被研究，以了解哪些昆虫和病原体攻击这些植物，以及这些植物如何保护自己。通过同时研究天敌、植物防御以及植物、昆虫和土壤病原体的进化史，研究人员将对亚马逊盆地产生高度生物多样性的过程有新的见解。该项目将培训秘鲁和美国的科学家，重点是促进来自代表性不足的社会经济群体的学生的机会。加州大学伯克利分校将为秘鲁和美国学生开发夏季实地课程，教授生态学、进化生物学、植物和昆虫分类学、实验设计和研究方法。该项目将把研究和教育与国际田野生物学结合起来，并涉及少数群体和社会经济上处于不利地位的学生。学生将从伯克利现有的一个项目中招募，该项目指导第一代大学生，为通常只提供基于实验室的研究职位的学生提供关键的野外生物学机会。

Biologists have long hypothesized that insects and pathogens are directly involved in the origin and maintenance of plant diversity, especially in the extraordinarily diverse tropical rainforests. The evolution of novel chemical defenses that deter insects and pathogens has been thought to allow plants to expand their geographic ranges, thereby promoting the formation of new species. Very little is known about the identity or distribution of the enemies that attack tropical plants or how host-specific they are. In this research, populations of 45 species from a common, diverse genus of tropical rainforest trees (Protium) in Peru, Brazil and French Guiana will be studied to learn about which insects and pathogens attack the plants and how the plants defend themselves. By simultaneously studying natural enemies, plant defenses, and the evolutionary history of plants, insects, and soil pathogens the investigators will gain new insights on the processes that generate high biodiversity in the Amazon basin. This project will train scientists both in Peru and the United States, with a focus on promoting opportunities for students from underrepresented socioeconomic groups. A summer field course in Peru will be developed for Peruvian and US students at the University of California at Berkeley, that will teach ecology, evolutionary biology, taxonomy of plants and insects, experimental design and research methods. This project will integrate research and education with international field biology and involve minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Students will be recruited from an existing program at Berkeley that mentors first-generation college students, providing critical field biology opportunities for students who are generally offered only lab-based research positions.