Ecogenomics of managed tropical landscapes

在热带地区- -正如在温带地区一样- -目前主要是为了满足当前和未来的粮食和纤维生产需要而在人类占主导地位的地区使用外来和转基因植物及其微共生植物的趋势既构成了威胁，也带来了机遇。与这一战略相关的风险包括遗传多样性的减少和本地基因库的污染。这些都有可能对人口、社区和生态系统产生负面影响。在接下来的五年里，拟议中的研究项目将使用基因组技术来调查巴西南部桉树种植园的这一问题。该研究计划的目标是：i)为桉树物种及其相关的外生菌根真菌（ECMF）开发健壮的中性非编码和自适应编码基因标记；ii)评估遗传多样性，监测桉树外来种群及其ECMF中新基因和基因组的迁移（基因流动）和影响；Iii)评估不同环境下的功能反应；iv)开发空间明确的基于个体的模拟模型和统计生态基因组学方法。最终，这些研究结果将为生物多样性保护和森林管理委员会（FSC）对热带地区外来/杂交桉树人工林的认证做出明智的决策提供必要的科学可靠的背景信息。研究结果将有助于更好地理解遗传水平上的生态系统功能和环境可持续性（例如，种间和种内遗传变异、入侵性、渐渗、适应度降低和感知冗余），特别是在管理景观生物多样性操纵的背景下。基因组学在环境方面的应用对加拿大社会和加拿大在国际舞台上的作用至关重要。该项目将在这个快速发展的研究领域培养博士、硕士和学士学位的暑期学生。为了解决该项目的不同组成部分，预计将与其他科学家合作。

In the tropics - as in the temperate zone - the present movement towards the use of exotic and transgenic plants and their microsymbionts in human-dominated landscapes, principally to meet the current and future food and fibre production needs, poses both threats and opportunities. The risks associated with this strategy include a reduction in genetic diversity and the pollution of native gene pools. These have the potential to negatively impact populations, communities, and ecosystems. For the next five years, the proposed research program will use genomic techniques to investigate this problematic in Eucalyptus plantations in southern Brazil. The objectives of the proposed research program are to: i) develop robust neutral non-coding and adaptive coding gene markers for Eucalyptus species and their associated ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF); ii) assess the genetic diversity and monitor the movement (gene flow) and impacts of new genes and genomes in exotic populations of Eucalyptus and their ECMF; iii) assess the functional responses in different environments; and iv) develop spatially explicit individual-based simulation models and statistical ecogenomic methods. Ultimately, results from these studies will provide the necessary scientifically sound background information for making informed decisions for biodiversity conservation and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of exotic/hybrid Eucalyptus forest plantations in the tropics. The results will provide a better understanding of ecosystem function and environmental sustainability at the genetic level (e.g., inter-and intra-specific genetic variation, invasiveness, introgression, reduced fitness and perceived redundancy), particularly within the context of the manipulation of biodiversity in managed landscapes. Applications of genomics for environmental use are of critical importance to Canadian society and to Canada's role in the international arena. The project will involve the training of Ph.D., M.Sc. and B.Sc. summer students in this rapidly developing research area. To address the different components of the project, collaboration with other scientists is anticipated.