IRES Track II: Dynamics, consequences, and management of plant-fungal co-invasions

入侵物种严重损害了全球和美国的农业、林业和自然生态系统服务。越来越多的人认识到，许多生物入侵实际上是“共同入侵”，即两个或更多入侵物种总是一起入侵，因为它们的成功依赖于彼此。一个普遍的例子是树木(如松树和桉树)及其共生根部真菌，它们往往从故意种植它们的地区逃逸，入侵当地生境和其他敏感地区，造成经济和生态破坏。有效地解决入侵生物学中的这一问题和相关问题需要具有地理和国际视野，这将是拟建的两个高级研究所(ASIS，即在国外教授的研究生课程)的根本。我们将开展一对互补的ASIS，分别在澳大利亚和南非培训10名美国博士生，为期21天。这些课程的招募将确保受过培训的学生代表美国社会的不同阶层，增强传统上代表不足的群体在入侵生物学领域的代表性。这些课程将教授入侵和共同入侵生物学的基本概念，并将让学生参与国际合作研究，解决关于生物入侵的基本问题。学生将学习解决这些问题所需的尖端领域、实验室和分析技能，并将获得国际网络和职业发展机会，为他们成为该领域的领导者做好准备。旅行后的活动将引导每个博士生了解他们在美国当地社区的重要入侵物种问题，并将这些课程传授给大约400名美国高中生。入侵物种是对全球生物多样性和生态系统服务的重要威胁，包括在美国。它们有可能减少生物多样性，扰乱重要的共同进化的互惠关系和物种共存，改变生态系统过程，并产生新的生态系统状态，抵制生态恢复。因此，了解入侵的生态进化动态、其对生物多样性和生态系统功能的影响以及它们的动态和恢复如何受到全球变化和极端气候事件的影响至关重要。入侵生物学中一个重要的新兴分支是共同入侵的研究，其中入侵的成功和影响取决于与其他物种的共同入侵，例如在南半球广泛引入松树及其共生的外生菌根真菌，以及在北半球平行引入桉树及其外生菌根真菌。有效地解决关于生物入侵和共同入侵的问题需要一个地理的、国际的视角，这将是这里提议的两个高级研究所(ASIS)的基础。我们提出了两个互补的ASIS，每个ASI在21天的课程中培训10名美国博士生：ASI#1，入侵和生态系统，将在澳大利亚NWS的霍克斯伯里环境研究所举办，重点是植物和真菌入侵的生态系统功能后果，以及入侵的动态和管理如何受到极端气候事件的影响。ASI#2，入侵和进化，将在南非比勒陀利亚的林业和农业生物技术研究所举办，重点研究植物和真菌入侵的进化、系统发育和基因组机制和后果。每个ASI将a)向研究生传授入侵生物学的基本概念；b)让学生参与有关生物入侵的基本问题的国际合作研究；c)教授学生解决这些问题所需的前沿领域、实验室和分析技能；以及d)为学生提供国际职业发展机会，使他们成为该领域的领导者。拟议的项目将通过与密西西比大学现有项目以及密西西比州两所历史悠久的黑人学院和大学(HBCU)的研究生项目建立招聘伙伴关系，增加该领域传统上代表性不足的群体在入侵生物学领域的参与度和领导力。当地高中的研究生实习生在旅行后进行的外联活动将把入侵生物学的课程带回家，并将它们应用到美国的例子中，影响到大约400名高中生。这一外展经验也将给我们的ASI毕业生提供宝贵的经验，综合他们的知识，并将其传授给更广泛的受众。该项目还将通过与两个国家的科学家(以及其他六个国家的讲师)建立新的国际合作伙伴关系来加强美国的研究基础设施；这些联系将通过潜在的国际研究合作使参与的学生在他们的职业生涯中受益。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。

Invasive species significantly damage agriculture, forestry, and natural ecosystem services globally and in the United States. Increasingly, it is recognized that many biological invasions are actually "co-invasions," in which two or more invasive species always invade together because they depend on each other for their success. One widespread example is that of trees (such as pines and eucalypts) and their symbiotic root fungi, which often escape from areas where they were purposely planted and invade into native habitats and other sensitive areas, where they cause economic and ecological damage. Effectively addressing this and related problems in invasion biology requires a geographic, international perspective, which will be fundamental in the two proposed Advanced Studies Institutes (ASIs, i.e., graduate courses taught abroad). We will conduct a complementary pair of ASIs, one each in Australia and South Africa, each training 10 American PhD students for 21 days. Recruitment for these courses will insure that the trained students represent a diverse cross-section of American society, enhancing representation of traditionally under-represented groups in the field of invasion biology. The courses will teach fundamental concepts of invasion and co-invasion biology, and will involve the students in international collaborative research addressing fundamental questions on biological invasions. Students will learn cutting-edge field, laboratory, and analytical skills needed for addressing these problems, and will also gain international networking and professional development opportunities that will prepare them to be leaders in this field. Post-travel activities will guide each PhD student to learn about important invasive species issues in their local communities in the United States, and to pass along these lessons to approximately 400 American high school students. Invasive species are an important threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide, including in the United States. They have the potential to reduce biodiversity, disrupt important co-evolved mutualisms and species coexistence, alter ecosystem processes, and produce new ecosystem states that are resistant to ecological restoration. It is thus critical to understand the eco-evolutionary dynamics of invasions, their consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and how their dynamics and restoration are influenced by global change and extreme climatic events. An important emerging sub-field within invasion biology is the study of co-invasions, in which the success and impact of an invader depends on co-invasion with other species, such as the widespread introduction of pines and their symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and the parallel introductions of Eucalyptus and their ectomycorrhizal fungi in the Northern Hemisphere. Effectively addressing questions on biological invasions and co-invasions requires a geographic, international perspective, which will be fundamental in the two Advanced Studies Institutes (ASIs) proposed here. We propose two complementary ASIs, each training 10 American PhD students over the course of 21 days: ASI #1, Invasions and Ecosystems, will be hosted at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, NWS, Australia, and will focus on the ecosystem functional consequences of plant & fungal invasions, and how dynamics and management of invasions are affected by extreme climatic events. ASI #2, Invasions and Evolution, will be hosted at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Pretoria, South Africa, and will focus on the evolutionary, phylogenetic, and genomic mechanisms and consequences of plant & fungal invasions. Each ASI will a) teach graduate students fundamental concepts of invasion biology; b) involve the students in international collaborative research addressing fundamental questions on biological invasions; c) teach the students cutting-edge field, laboratory, and analytical skills needed for addressing those questions; and d) provide students with international professional development opportunities that will prepare them to be leaders in this field. The proposed program will increase participation and leadership in invasion biology by groups traditionally under-represented this field, through recruitment partnerships with established programs at the University of Mississippi, as well as with graduate programs at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Mississippi. Post-travel outreach by the graduate student trainees in local high schools will bring home the lessons of invasion biology, applying them to examples in the United States and impacting approximately 400 high school students. This outreach experience will also give our ASI graduates valuable experience synthesizing their knowledge and teaching it to a broader audience. The project will also enhance American research infrastructure by building new international partnerships with scientists in two countries (and with Lecturers from six others); these connections will benefit the participating students throughout their careers through potential international research collaborations.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.