NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: The Role of Individual Behavior in Climate Induced Range Shifts

这项行动资助了2023财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。气候变化正在对世界各地的动物种群产生深远的影响。当面临气候变暖时，物种通常会将它们的活动范围转移到更高的纬度或海拔，以寻找更理想的栖息地。然而，这些变化在物种内部和物种之间的方向和幅度上可能存在很大差异，并且从生物体水平上对范围变化的潜在机制仍然知之甚少。该项目将建立一个框架，以了解影响动物对气候变化反应的复杂因素，更好地为保护决策提供信息。为了扩大该项目的影响，研究员将与社区利益攸关方和众包数据接触，并实施近同行指导网络和实地工作支助赠款，以扩大代表性不足背景的人的参与。该项目将重点关注对气候变化的反应，方法是（1）综合现有的范围变化和特征数据，建立气候引起的范围变化的预测模型，（2）使用被动相机陷阱阵列研究栖息地偏好和广泛的焦点物种的行为。对于第一个目标，研究员将审查记录在案的气候引起哺乳动物物种范围转移的案例，然后进行元分析，以确定物种的生态和行为特征与范围转移之间的关系;这些关系将用于参数化模型，以预测未来的范围。第二个目标是对山猫（Lynx rufus）沿着其北方活动范围前沿进行实地调查，山猫在某些地方一直在向北扩展活动范围。将从范围边缘到内部设置多个相机陷阱阵列;然后将对当地环境特征进行调查，以确定个人栖息地偏好并评估整个范围内的个人行为差异。该项目将具有独特的区别，将有机体，基于场的方法与大规模定量建模相结合，以提供对气候引起的范围变化的机制的更强大的理解。为了扩大在生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与，研究员将在本科生，研究生和博士后科学家中实施以“研究混合器”活动为中心的同行指导网络。此外，研究员将实施一项实地考察补助金计划，以资助与博士后导师合作的学生。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2023, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. Climate change is having profound effects on animal populations around the world. When faced with warming temperatures, species commonly shift their range to higher latitudes or elevations in search of more optimal habitat. However, these shifts can vary immensely in direction and magnitude within and among species, and the underlying mechanisms of range shifts from an organismal level remain poorly understood. This project will build a framework to understand the complex factors that influence animal responses to a changing climate, better informing conservation decisions. To broaden the impact of this project, the Fellow will engage with community stakeholders and crowdsourced data, and implement near-peer mentoring networks and fieldwork support grants to broaden participation of those from underrepresented backgrounds. The project will focus on responses to changing climate by (1) synthesizing available data on range shifts and traits to build predictive models of climate induced range shift and (2) using passive camera trap arrays to study habitat preferences and behavior of a wide-ranging focal species. For the first objective, the Fellow will review documented cases of climate-induced range shift across mammal species and then conduct a meta-analysis to identify relationships between a species’ ecological and behavioral traits and range shift; these relationships will then be used to parameterize models to forecast future ranges. The second objective will use field surveys of the bobcat, Lynx rufus, along its northern range front, where it has been expanding its range northward in certain localities. Multiple camera-trap arrays will be set up from the range edge to interior; a survey will then be done of local environmental characteristics in order to determine individual habitat preferences and assess differences in individual behavior across the range front. This project will have the unique distinction of integrating organismal, field-based approaches with large-scale quantitative modeling to provide a more robust understanding of the mechanisms underlying climate-induced range shifts. To broaden participation of groups underrepresented in biology, the Fellow will implement peer mentoring networks among undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scientists centered around “Research Mixer” events. In addition, the Fellow will implement a fieldwork grant program to financially support students working with postdoctoral mentors.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.