Population to ecosystem scale effects of evo-to-eco pathways in nature

进化和生态过程曾经被认为发生在不同的时间尺度上，以至于在研究当代（1- 100代）生态动态时可以忽略进化。然而，进化可以是迅速的，可以影响物种特征和遗传多样性。因此，进化也可能在种群、群落和生态系统层面上影响当代生态动态，对我们预测人类活动引起的环境变化的后果产生广泛影响。大多数关于进化过程如何影响生态变化（进化到生态途径）的研究都是在人工实验室条件下进行的。我的研究项目将研究进化到生态的途径如何影响自然界的生态动态。我的团队将继续我们的原始溪鳟鱼种群在开普种族，荷兰的长期研究。这些种群是研究自然界生态-进化途径的一个信息模型，因为：（i）它们是顶级捕食者，也是溪流中唯一的脊椎动物;（ii）它们可以在占据小溪流中进行全面研究;（iii）它们在被认为影响无脊椎动物猎物群落结构和水生生态系统生产力的性状上存在很大差异;和（iv）它们适合于使用其他脊椎动物进行非常具有挑战性的实验（例如暂时易位;共同花园）。溪鳟鱼也是社会经济重要的鲑鱼的成员，因此对开普种族鳟鱼的研究结果与加拿大和其他地方的水生物种和生态系统的保护/管理有关。在接下来的五年里，我的团队将确定鳟鱼种群之间的遗传或性状变化如何影响（i）它们的种群增长，以及（ii）群落结构和生态系统功能。目标㈠将联合收割机结合对遗传多样性和近亲繁殖程度各不相同的人口的人口学和基因组学的创新性长期研究，以检验关于遗传/进化因素在影响人口生存能力方面的作用的长期假设。目标（ii）将暂时移植鳟鱼从不同的人口到小，孤立的池塘，调查未解决的重要性，不同的人口密度，遗传多样性和性状特征可能对水生群落和生态系统的结构/组成。这些研究目标将包括四个研究生和五个本科论文项目。我提出的研究计划提供了一个概念和分析能力强的工作环境，采用经典和现代的工具来解决与加拿大社会相关的研究问题。在提高知识的进化到生态途径的影响可能会影响人口增长，人口生产力，水生群落结构和生态系统功能的程度，我的研究计划将通知小种群保护和可持续渔业管理在不同的生物水平。

Evolutionary and ecological processes were once thought to occur on such different timescales that evolution could be ignored when examining contemporary (1-100s of generations) ecological dynamics. Yet evolution can be rapid and can affect species traits and genetic diversity. So evolution might also impact contemporary ecological dynamics at population, community and ecosystem levels, with broad implications for our prediction of the consequences of environmental changes induced by human activities. Most research on how evolutionary processes influence ecological changes (evo-to-eco' pathways) has been conducted under artificial lab conditions. My research program will instead investigate how evo-to-eco pathways influence ecological dynamics in nature. My team will continue our long-term research of pristine brook trout populations at Cape Race, NL. These populations are an informative model for studying eco-to-evo pathways in nature because: (i) they are the top predators and only vertebrates in their streams; (ii) they can be comprehensively studied in occupying small streams; (iii) they differ substantially in traits thought to influence invertebrate prey community structure and aquatic ecosystem productivity; and (iv) they are amenable to experimentation that is very challenging to conduct using other vertebrates (e.g. temporary translocations; common-gardens). Brook trout is also a member of socio-economically important salmonids, so research findings on Cape Race trout have relevance to the conservation/management of aquatic species and ecosystems in Canada and elsewhere. Over the next five years, my team will determine how genetic or trait changes among trout populations affect (i) their population growth, and (ii) community structure and ecosystem function. Objective (i) will combine innovative long-term studies on the demography and genomics of populations that vary in their extent of genetic diversity and inbreeding to test long-standing hypotheses about the role of genetic/evolutionary factors in affecting population viability. Objective (ii) will temporarily transplant trout from different populations to small, isolated ponds to investigate the unresolved importance that varying population densities, genetic diversity and trait characteristics may have on the structure/composition of aquatic communities and ecosystems. These research objectives will comprise four graduate student and five undergraduate thesis projects. My proposed research program offers a conceptually- and analytically-strong working environment that adopts both classic and modern tools to tackle research questions of relevance to Canadian society. In improving knowledge of the extent to which evo-to-eco pathway effects might influence population growth, population productivity, aquatic community structure and ecosystem function, my research program will inform small population conservation and sustainable fisheries management at diverse biological levels.