EAPSI:How Does Ecology Influence Biogeography? A Study of a Well-Known Parasitic Plant

寄生植物？光合能力有限或没有光合能力的植物？都依赖宿主生存许多寄生植物一直未得到充分研究，有关它们的生态学、进化和植物地理学的工作将对理解共生关系做出重大贡献。这项研究支持了槲寄生生物地理学的研究，槲寄生是一种主要分布在南半球的著名寄生植物。这项研究的目的是了解新西兰槲寄生的分布，考虑到它们对其他生物的依赖（通过依赖寄生与树木和鸟类传播种子），并了解景观的形状如何影响它们的传播。本研究将使用PI开发的新模型来确定生态因素如何影响生物分布。这项研究将与著名的槲寄生生态学和进化专家戴夫·凯利博士合作进行，他对槲寄生的位置和新西兰的鸟类-槲寄生-树木宿主协会有着全面的了解。这项工作将解决从未从历史地理学的角度提出的问题。这项研究将使用PI开发的新的可能性建模方法来评估新西兰槲寄生的历史地理学。许多寄生植物一直未得到充分研究，有关它们的生态学、进化和植物地理学的工作将对理解共生关系做出重大贡献。通过关注槲寄生（桑寄生科）的一个小分支，并使用寄生虫，宿主和传播媒介/屏障和植被类型的数据，PI将能够问：什么生物因素构成了槲寄生的历史地理？宿主和传播媒介的传播谱与寄生虫的传播谱是否相关？景观的异质性如何影响槲寄生的分布？目前，还没有研究试图评估寄生植物的地理历史，我们缺乏了解的生态因素影响了寄生植物的地理历史。这个NSF EAPSI奖是与新西兰皇家学会合作资助的。

Parasitic plants?plants with limited or no photosynthetic ability?are reliant on hosts for survival. Many parasitic plants have been understudied and work regarding their ecology, evolution and biogeography would be a substantial contribution to understanding symbiosis. This research supports study of the biogeography of mistletoe, a well-known parasitic plant found mainly in the Southern Hemisphere. The research aims to understand the distribution of New Zealand mistletoes by considering their dependence on other organisms (through reliance on parasitic associations with trees and on birds to disperse seeds) and by understanding how the shape of the landscape affects their dispersal. This study will use a new model developed by the PI to ascertain how ecological factors affect the distribution of organisms. The research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Dave Kelly, a noted expert on mistletoe ecology and evolution who has comprehensive knowledge of the location of mistletoes, and of bird-mistletoe-tree host associations in New Zealand. The work will address questions never before asked from a historical biogeography perspective.The study will use a novel likelihood modeling approach developed by the PI to assess the historical biogeography of New Zealand mistletoes. Many parasitic plants have been understudied and work regarding their ecology, evolution and biogeography would be a substantial contribution to understanding symbiosis. By focusing on a small clade of mistletoes (Loranthaceae) and using parasite, host and dispersal agent/barrier and vegetation type data, the PI will be able to ask: What biotic factors have structured the historical biogeography of mistletoes? Does host and dispersal agent biogeography correlate with parasite biogeography? How does heterogeneity in the landscape affect mistletoe distribution? Currently, no study has tried to assess the biogeographic history of parasitic plants and we lack understanding of ecological factors have influenced the biogeographic history of parasitic plants. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Royal Society of New Zealand.