The macrophysiology of food chain dynamics

地球上的许多生态系统面临着严重的未来变暖，这可能导致物种的丧失，侵蚀生态功能，并危及支持人类生计的环境服务。生态学理论预测，一些物种可能对变暖有弹性，如果它们分布的温暖地区的个体已经进化出更大的高温耐受性，并且可以在变暖时迁移到较冷的地区。不太清楚的是，这些移民是否能够发挥与前居民相同的功能作用;如果不能，生态功能仍然可能受到侵蚀。为了验证这个问题，这项研究将研究蜘蛛捕食者和昆虫猎物的种群在一个类似于预测的全球气候变化的温度梯度。将测量从北到南的蜘蛛的耐热性，蜘蛛和猎物种群将在部分地区之间进行实验性移植，以模拟由于变暖和迁移而可能发生的混合，并将测试这些实验性混合社区和现有社区之间的功能差异。因此，这项研究将提高对进化潜力的理解，使其具有承受气候变化的能力，从而提高物种对环境变化的适应能力。该项目将加强妇女和少数民族在环境问题背景下参与STEM研究。它还将有助于通过课程作业和基于证据的应用环境科学实践研究经验，培养全球多元化和具有竞争力的STEM劳动力。研究基础设施将被用来开发纽黑文公立学校关于环境服务，生物多样性和气候变化影响的STEM课程。

Many of Earth's ecological systems face substantial future warming that could cause loss of species, erode ecological functioning, and jeopardize environmental services that support human livelihoods. Ecological theory predicts that some species may be resilient to warming if individuals in warmer parts of their distribution have already evolved greater tolerance of high temperature and can migrate to cooler parts as they warm. Less clear is whether these immigrants will be able to play the same functional roles as the former residents; if not, ecological functions could still erode. To test this question, this study will study populations of spider predators and insect prey across a temperature gradient similar to the predicted change in global climate. The thermal tolerances of spiders from north to south will be measured, spiders and prey populations will be experimentally transplanted between parts of the regions to mimic the mixing that might occur due to warming and migration, and the differences in functioning between these experimentally mixed communities and existing communities will be tested. The study will thus improve understanding of the potential for evolution to confer the ability to tolerate changes in climate and thereby increase the resiliency of species to environmental change. This project will enhance participation of women and minorities in STEM research in the context of environmental problems. It will also help to train a globally diverse and competitive STEM workforce through coursework and hands-on research experiences in evidence-based, applied environmental science. The research infrastructure will be leveraged to develop New Haven Public School STEM curricula on environmental services, biodiversity, and effects of climate change.