Collaborative Research: RUI---Integrated Inventory of Biomes of the Arctic

这项以博物馆为基础的北部生物多样性研究将把学术、州和联邦机构联系起来，并将形成一个关于西伯利亚、阿拉斯加和加拿大高纬度地区植物、哺乳动物和相关寄生虫的综合生物清单。将重点放在鲜为人知的北极和亚北极地区，将建立生物结构、进化和生态的全面图景，为探测和预测对加速环境变化的反应奠定基础。标本和生物信息将通过全球可访问的数据库提供，为评估半球间多样性的历史、关系和分布提供途径。应用于植物、哺乳动物和寄生虫标本新收集的尖端分子工具将使研究人员和学生能够确定构成北方生物多样性的主要气候事件的顺序、年龄、位置和后果。人畜共患疾病和保护遗传学研究的标本可用性产生了更广泛的影响。该项目将为美国学生在俄罗斯、芬兰和加拿大参与高效的国际合作提供培训和经验。美国的基础设施将通过增加博物馆收藏资源得到加强，这些资源将供科学家和教育工作者在应对科学和社会的新挑战时进行研究。

This museum-based study of northern biological diversity will link academic, state and federal institutions, and will result in an integrated biological inventory of high-latitude plants, mammals and associated parasites in Siberia, Alaska and Canada. A focus on poorly known regions in the Arctic and subarctic will build a comprehensive picture of biotic structure, evolution, and ecology, establishing a foundation for detecting and predicting responses to accelerated environmental change. Specimens and biological information will be made available via globally accessible databases, providing a pathway to assess the history, relationships and distribution of inter-hemispheric diversity. Cutting-edge molecular tools applied to new collections of plant, mammal, and parasite specimens will allow investigators and students to determine the sequence, age, location, and consequences of major climatic events that structured northern biodiversity. Broader impacts emerge from the availability of specimens for studies of zoonotic diseases and conservation genetics. The project will provide training and experience for US students participating in highly productive international collaborations in Russia, Finland and Canada. Infrastructure in the US will be strengthened by augmenting museum collection resources, which will be available to scientists and educators for study as they tackle emerging challenges for science and society.