Mechanisms of sex-specific reproductive timing and migratory movements in seasonal environments

来自地球各地的证据表明，气候制度正在发生变化，社会现在面临着一个问题：动物能否跟上环境变化的速度？在加拿大这样的季节性环境中，迁徙和繁殖的时机对动物的生殖适应性有很大影响。然而，最佳时机可能因性别而异，在多个空间和时间尺度上变化的环境中很难实现。为了准确预测种群的反应，我们需要加强对个体如何预测季节变化和对环境变化做出反应的理解。我们也不能再忽视迁徙和繁殖时机上的性别差异，因为个体对非生物和生物因素的反应可能会因性别而异。我的研究项目正在揭示影响雄性和雌性迁徙和繁殖事件的关键机制，以应对环境因素。我提议的研究将集中在两个迁徙的、高度季节性的脊椎动物群体上，并展示出特定性别的节律：太平洋鲑鱼和北美林莺。我的研究项目揭示了关于鲑鱼和鸟类季节性节律的个体变化的新见解，并出现了一个广泛的主题。我的数据表明，个体动物可能会灵活地调整迁徙和繁殖的时间，以最大限度地适应健康，这可能会加速适应气候变化。然而，我们仍未接近预测人口反应。我的下一步将是通过关注潜在的机制来学习更多关于适应性的、特定于性别的时间安排。我提出的新研究计划有三个目标。(1)我将使用最先进的大型遥测阵列(75个自动接收器)跟踪超过40,000平方英尺的迁徙活动，对林莺特定性别迁徙时机背后的行为和生理机制进行明确的研究。在安大略省的公里处。(2)我将进行野外实验，以揭示科卡尼鲑鱼特定性别迁徙时间的潜在机制。(3)我将评估社会行为如何影响可卡尼鲑鱼的迁徙行为和到达产卵区的时间。来自这些研究的数据将解决关于时机的重要假设，并将提供给理论发展。**我的研究项目将促进对鲑鱼和候鸟性别特定时机的了解，这两个群体对加拿大具有特殊的生态、经济和文化重要性。我将培训16名学生和9名其他学员。这些受训人员将成为生态学、进化论和行为学基础知识方面的专家，并将获得研究迁徙、繁殖、能源使用和运动并对其进行建模的技能。他们将成为在学术界、工业界、政府和非政府组织中工作的非常有能力的科学家，以确定自然资源管理的最佳实践。

Evidence from around the Earth indicates that climate regimes are shifting, and society now faces the question: can animals keep pace with the rate of environmental change? In seasonal environments like those of Canada, the timing of migration and reproduction strongly influences reproductive fitness in animals. Yet optimal timing can be sex-specific and difficult to achieve in environments that vary at multiple spatial and temporal scales. To predict responses of populations accurately, we need to strengthen our understanding of how individuals anticipate seasonal change and respond to environmental variability. We also can no longer ignore sex differences in the timing of migration and reproduction, because the way individuals respond to abiotic and biotic factors likely will be sex-specific. My research program is uncovering key mechanisms that influence how males and females time their migratory and reproductive events in response to environmental factors. My proposed research will focus on two vertebrate groups that are migratory, highly seasonal, and exhibit sex-specific timing: Pacific salmon and North American warblers.***     *My research program has revealed new insights about individual variation in seasonal timing in salmon and birds, and a broad theme has emerged. My data suggest that individual animals may flexibly adjust their timing of migration and reproduction to maximize fitness, which may hasten adaptation to climate change. However, we are still not close to predicting population responses. My next step will be to learn more about adaptive, sex-specific timing by focusing on underlying mechanisms. ***     *My proposed new research program has three objectives. (1) I will undertake a definitive study of the behavioural and physiological mechanisms underlying sex-specific migration timing in warblers, by using a state-of-the-art, large-scale telemetry array (75 automated receivers) to track migratory movements over 40,000 sq. km in Ontario. (2) I will conduct field experiments to uncover the mechanisms underlying sex-specific migration timing in kokanee salmon. (3) I will evaluate how social behaviour influences migration behaviour and arrival timing to spawning areas in kokanee salmon. Data from these studies will address important hypotheses about timing and will feed into theory development.***     *My research program will advance knowledge of sex-specific timing in salmon and migratory birds, two groups that are of exceptional ecological, economic, and cultural importance to Canada. I will train 16 students and 9 other trainees. These trainees will become experts in the fundamentals of ecology, evolution, and behaviour, and will gain skills to study and model migration, reproduction, energy use, and movement. They will become highly competent scientists working in academia, industry, government, and NGOs to determine best practices for natural resource management.*****