Phenotypic, genetic and demographic responses to environmental variation and inbreeding in the song sparrow

我的工作延续了一项长达35年的研究，该研究已成为理解人类影响和环境因素如何影响种群持久性和物种进化的模型系统。我提出的新工作将评估遗传变异、褐头牛鹂的幼虫寄生和气候变化对北美西部小种群的适应性个体和持久性的短期和长期影响。我的工作的总体目标是确定和排序最可能影响人口增长和灭绝速度的因素，特别是确定那些最可能由野生动物管理者改善的因素，以造福稀有和濒危物种。我对这项工作的方法是开发一个模型系统，其中对近亲繁殖的详细信息和单独标记的歌麻雀（Melospiza melodia）的表现进行持续监测，这是一种典型的雀形目鸟类。然后将这些数据应用于解决生态、进化和保护方面的复杂问题。特别是，由于我研究的遗传和人口统计学因素经常被确定为威胁世界各地物种种群的持久性，我的工作提供了一种实用而廉价的方法来确定对种群和物种最严重的威胁，以及最可靠的管理策略，以可能恢复这些种群和物种。总的来说，我的工作为回答自然界的复杂问题和培养杰出的年轻科学家提供了独特的机会，而无需投入巨大的资金和精力去研究更难监测的物种。我自己和学生的工作成果出现在几本教科书中，受到全世界的关注，并将在未来继续这样做。

My work continues a 35 year study that has become a model system for understanding how human influence and environmental factors affect the persistence of populations and evolution of species. The new work I propose will estimate the short and long-term effects of genetic variation, brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds and climate change on the fitness individuals and persistence of small populations of birds in western North America. An overall goal of my work is to identify and rank factors most likely to affect the growth and extinction rates of populations generally and, in particular, to identify those factors most likely to be ameliorated by wildlife managers for the benefit of rare and endangered species. My approach to this work has been to develop a model system of study wherein detailed information on inbreeding and the performance of individually-marked song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), an archetypical passerine bird, is monitored continuously. These data are then applied to solve complex problems in ecology, evolution and conservation. In particular, because the genetic and demographic factors I study have often been identified as threats the persistence of populations of species around the world, my work offers a practical and inexpensive approach to identifying the most severe threats to populations and species, and the msot reliable management tactics to likely recover these populations and species. Overall, my work provides unique opportunities to answer complex questions in nature and train outstanding young scientists without the enormous expense and effort of embarking on new studies of species that are harder to monitor. The results of my own and student's work appear in several textbooks, receive attention world-wide, and should continue to do so in future.