Eco-evolutionary dynamics

达尔文认为进化过程非常缓慢，这一观点在一个多世纪内几乎被普遍接受。然而，最近发生了一个戏剧性的转变，人们开始接受环境变化常常推动“当代”（或“快速”）进化。有了这种接受，就有必要调查对人口、社区和生态系统动态的影响。这就是快速发展的“生态进化动力学”综合研究领域。到目前为止，我的大部分研究都集中在这些动态中的因果关系的一个方向上——生态变化如何影响进化（生态到进化）。我也开始探索因果关系的相互箭头：进化变化如何影响生态（进化到生态）。在接下来的五年里，我的研究将通过对三种模式系统的研究，寻求对这两种因果途径及其相互作用的共同理解：不列颠哥伦比亚省的刺鱼，特立尼达的孔雀鱼和加拉帕戈斯群岛的雀类。NSERC基金将用于实验和监测，以解决两个关键问题：(1)进化在形成生态过程中的重要性；(2)进化和生态过程之间的反馈。这项研究将量化不同环境下（如物种和地点）的进化效应，以及与其他潜在驱动因素（如密度和降雨量）的关系。它还将告知反馈是否可能引起特别迅速和戏剧性的变化（正反馈）或稳定系统（负反馈）。从这些新的进化到生态的研究结果将与以前和正在进行的生态到进化的研究相结合，以促进对生态进化动力学的综合理解。通过描述进化对生态动力学的影响，本研究有可能对保护生物学、环境科学、医学、农业和自然资源管理等领域的基础和应用问题产生深远的影响。与此同时，它将培训数十名HQP，让他们掌握解决问题的生态进化方法所必需的方法和途径。

Darwin suggested that evolution proceeds very slowly, and this view was almost universally accepted for more than a century. Recently, however, a dramatic shift has taken place toward an acceptance that environmental changes often drive "contemporary" (or "rapid") evolution. With this acceptance has come the need to investigate consequences for the dynamics of populations, communities, and ecosystems. This is the rapidly developing integrated research field of "eco-evolutionary dynamics." Most of my research has thus far focused on one direction of causality in these dynamics - how ecological change influences evolution (eco-to-evo). I have also started to explore the reciprocal arrow of causality: how evolutionary change influences ecology (evo-to-eco). Over the next five years, my research will seek to advance an joint understanding of both causal pathways, and their interactions, through research on three model systems: stickleback in British Columbia, guppies in Trinidad, and finches in Galapagos. NSERC funds will be used for experiments and monitoring to address two critical topics: (1) the IMPORTANCE of evolution in shaping ecological processes, and (2) FEEDBACKS between evolutionary and ecological processes. The research will quantify evolutionary effects in different contexts (e.g., species and locations) and in relation to other potential drivers (e.g., density and rainfall). It will also inform whether feedbacks are likely to cause particularly rapid and dramatic changes (positive feedbacks) or to stabilize the system (negative feedbacks). Findings emerging from these new evo-to-eco studies will be integrated with previous and ongoing eco-to-evo studies so as to advance an integrated understanding of eco-evolutionary dynamics. By delineating the effects of evolution on ecological dynamics, this research thus has the potential to profoundly impact approaches to basic and applied problems in conservation biology, environmental science, medicine, agriculture, and natural resource management. At the same time, it will train dozens of HQP in the methods and approaches necessary for an eco-evolutionary approach to problem solving.