CAREER: Butterflies on the move: integrating biogeography, physiology and citizen science towards a mechanistic understanding of contemporary range shifts

物种正在迁徙，出现在以前从未出现过的地方，也从曾经常见的地方消失了。许多物种正在向两极或上山的空间转移，但并不是所有的物种都这样做。一些人留在原地，另一些人缩小射程，想必无法搬到更好的地方。生态学家正试图理解这些差异。该奖项利用对美国中西部蝴蝶的长期、公民科学监测的力量，探索不同蝴蝶物种特有的特征是否解释了每个物种在过去几十年中的范围变化。特征包括这种物种飞得有多好，它需要的栖息地和食物，以及它的生理。这项研究不仅考虑了现在的特征是什么，而且还考虑了每种特征在几代人内部和代际之间的变化。换句话说，特征在多大程度上是固定的或灵活的？如果修复，当条件发生变化时，一个物种可能会被迫迁移到新的地方。如果灵活，该物种可能更能适应新的条件，不需要搬家就能凑合。这个项目将检验这些想法。该项目将为各式各样的早期职业研究人员和学生提供研究和教育/推广机会，包括博士后研究人员和研究生、本科生和高中生。该奖项将推进物种范围和范围转移决定因素的基础研究。将结合蝴蝶特性的经验评估、地理范围建模和基于特性的统计方法来探索范围变化和物种特性之间的联系。多温度普通花园实验将允许将生理性状的表型可塑性和进化变化的评估纳入基于特征的模型中。该项目将直接让公民科学家、K-12学生和教师以及本科生和研究生参与研究。将为公民科学家开发侧重于量化蝴蝶热环境的新工具和资源，以便以新的方式参与他们的生物体研究，并扩大从蝴蝶监测中收集的数据范围。该项目的成果将通过地方会议和公开介绍定期向公民科学家传播。这些活动将为公民科学家和研究科学家之间的直接联系搭建一条渠道。项目人员将合作为小学(2-5年级)教师和学生开发动手的、基于探究的模块，以与当地的蝴蝶互动，并了解蝴蝶是如何和为什么移动的。这些单元将围绕将科学方法带入课堂这一主题展开。这些活动将与凯斯西储大学的创新导论项目相吻合，该项目是一项跨学科的努力，旨在开发以STEM为重点的教学模块。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Species are on the move, appearing in places they never used to be and disappearing from areas where they once were common. Many species are shifting in space towards the poles or up mountains but not all species do so. Some stay put and others shrink their range, presumably unable to move somewhere better. Ecologists are trying to understand these differences. This award harnesses the power of long-term, citizen science monitoring of butterflies in the Midwestern United States to explore whether traits unique to different butterfly species explain each species' range shifts over the last several decades. Traits include how well the species flies, the habitat and food it needs, and its physiology. The research considers not only what the traits are now but how each can change within and across generations. In other words, to what extent are the traits fixed or flexible? If fixed, a species may be forced to move to new places when conditions change. If flexible, the species may be more able to adapt to new conditions and make do without moving. This project will test these ideas. The project will provide research and educational/outreach opportunities to a diverse array of early-career researchers and students including post-doctoral researchers and graduate, undergraduate and high school students.The award will advance fundamental research on the determinants of species ranges and range shifts. A combination of empirical assessments of butterfly traits, geographic range modeling, and trait-based statistical approaches will be used to explore the linkages between range shifts and species traits. Multi-temperature common garden experiments will allow the assessment of phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary change in physiological traits to be incorporated in the trait-based models. The project will directly involve citizen scientists, K-12 students and teachers, and undergraduate and graduate students in the research. New tools and resources focused on quantifying the thermal environment of butterflies will be developed for citizen scientists to engage with their study organisms in novel ways and expand the range of data collected from the monitoring of butterflies. The results of the project will be regularly disseminated to citizen scientists through local meetings and public presentations. These events will build a conduit for direct interface between citizen scientists and research scientists. Project personnel will collaborate to develop hands-on, inquiry-based modules for primary school (grades 2-5) teachers and students to interact with local butterflies, and to understand how and why butterflies are moving. The modules will be focused around the theme of bringing the scientific method into the classroom. These activities will dovetail with Case Western Reserve University's Introduction to Innovation program, a cross-disciplinary endeavor to develop STEM-focused teaching modules.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.