The beet generation: population genetics and ecology of sugar beet leaf miners (SPURGIN_U17ICASE)

害虫和入侵物种是理解种群动态、种群生态学和进化适应的极好模型。对这些关键过程的了解对于有效的虫害管理也是至关重要的。本专业将结合生态田野调查、分子遗传学和统计模型来了解英国甜菜上一种严重的害虫--Mangold Fly-aka甜菜叶矿物的种群动态。主要目标是：(I)通过英国田野调查，确定Mangold Fly的范围和有利于其传播的关键生态因素；(Ii)开发物种鉴定的分子工具；(Iii)种群遗传分析，推断农场内和农场之间的迁徙和人口统计模式，以及(Iv)研究该物种与其作物宿主相关的生活史的对照实验。学生身份有可能获得对种群生态学的新见解，并直接将这些发现转化为英国农业社区的利益。

Pests and invasive species make excellent models for understanding population dynamics, population ecology and evolutionary adaptation. Insight into these key processes is also essential for effective pest management. This studentship will use a combination of ecological fieldwork, molecular genetics and statistical modelling to understand the population dynamics of a serious UK pest of sugar beet: the mangold fly - aka beet leaf miner.The key objectives to be addressed are: (i) identification, via UK fieldwork, of mangold fly range and key ecological factors that favour its spread, (ii) development of molecular tools for species identification (iii) population genetic analyses infer patterns of migration and demography within and among farms, and (iv) controlled experiments to study the life history of this species in relation to its crop host The studentship has potential to gain new insights into population ecology and directly translate these findings to benefit the UK farming community.