DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Is the grass greener on the other side? Understanding plant range expansion dynamics in a changing world

随着气候变化改变温度和降水，植物物种的分布预计将发生变化。然而，植物在新的地区生存和生长的能力也将取决于它们对可能遇到的新的食草动物和病原体的抵抗能力。为了在密歇根州的森林中研究这一点，正在进行一项大型实验，在当前物种范围内和之外的不同纬度的5个地点种植了10个树种的8000株树苗。该项目将使研究人员能够识别攻击不同地点树木的个体食草动物和病原体，并区分哪些是造成所观察到的损害和疾病的原因。研究结果将有助于评估生物相互作用是否会阻止美国这一地区的森林通过物种迁移而在气候变化中幸存下来。该项目将培养一名博士生和一名本科生，并帮助继续向九年级学生推广教育。结果还将有助于美国预测和缓解气候变化对其自然资源的负面影响。

As climate change alters temperature and precipitation, the distributions of plant species are expected to shift. However, the ability of plants to survive and grow in new areas will also depend upon how well they can resist the new sets of herbivores and pathogens they are likely to encounter. To investigate this in the forests of Michigan, a large experiment is underway in which 8,000 seedlings of 10 species of trees have been planted at 5 sites at different latitudes within and beyond the current ranges of the species. This project will enable researchers to identify the individual herbivores and pathogens that are attacking the trees at the different sites, and to tell which are responsible for the damage and disease observed. Results will help assess whether biotic interactions will prevent forests in this region of the U.S. from surviving climate change through species migration. This project will train a Ph.D. student and an undergraduate student, and help continue educational outreach to 9th grade students. Results will also help the U.S. to anticipate and mitigate the negative effects of climate change on its natural resources.