Effects of climate change on interactions between host trees and beetle-fungal symbiont complex

山地松甲虫（MPB）杀死了数百万棵树，主要是加拿大西部的黑松。此外，甲虫将其活动范围扩大到更高的海拔和纬度。然而，它是未知的，如果lodgepole松不同，其脆弱性甲虫沿着海拔和纬度梯度。在我的应用程序中，我建议测试四个目标，针对四个方面的MPB入侵过程中的天真小杆松林，特别强调气候变化和亲属关系识别植物防御和相关（碳水化合物）化学品的长期后果。第一个目标是调查海拔和纬度梯度是否通过改变松树的化学防御和碳水化合物的浓度来影响松树对MPB的脆弱性。将在实验室生物测定中确认宿主对MPB的脆弱性。第二个目标是确定海拔和纬度梯度是否影响松树和MPB真菌共生体的氮和麦角固醇浓度。第三个目标是确定海拔和纬度梯度是否会改变环境和树木遗传对松树化学防御和碳水化合物的影响。最终的目标将测试亲属关系是否会影响植物与植物之间的通信，通过挥发性化学物质释放的树木在温室中的MPB殖民。从这些研究中得到的信息将是重要的基础和应用的了解昆虫入侵在幼稚的森林。前三个目标将改善针对入侵昆虫物种的气候变化适应战略。鉴于MPB已经侵入了历史上气候不适合其生存的地区，拟议的研究在海拔和纬度梯度的松树的脆弱性是及时的，需要制定政策，以管理MPB爆发在加拿大西部。例如，协助树木迁移是林业中一项常见的气候变化适应战略，但它没有考虑到气候变化对树木易受虫害影响的影响。因此，这项研究的结果可能是在加拿大和超越气候变化适应战略的关键。计划中的研究还将确定环境是否对沿着海拔的松树化学防御的影响大于纬度梯度;这一发现可能会影响加拿大和其他地方的气候适应和协助移民计划。此外，了解气候变化对微生物共生体的影响将使我们更好地了解它们如何影响入侵物种在这个地区和其他地区的范围扩张。最后，了解植物挥发性有机化合物的生态和进化作用，在树到树的通信不仅可以提高我们的理解树的生存在昆虫和病原体爆发，但也创造了机会，积极的管理措施，如“启动”或敏化诱导树防御昆虫攻击前。

Mountain pine beetle (MPB) killed millions of trees, largely lodgepole pine in western Canada. Furthermore, the beetle expanded its range to higher altitudes and latitudes. However, it is unknown if lodgepole pines differ in their vulnerability to beetles along altitude and latitude gradients. In my application, I propose to test four objectives targeting four aspects of MPB invasion processes in the naïve lodgepole pine forests, with particular emphasis on the long-term consequences of climate change and kinship recognition on plant defenses and related (carbohydrates) chemicals. First objective will investigate if altitude and latitude gradients affect vulnerability of pines to MPB through altering concentration of chemical defenses and carbohydrates of pine trees. Host vulnerability to MPB will be confirmed in laboratory bioassays. Second objective will determine if altitude and latitude gradients influence nitrogen and ergosterol concentrations of pines and fungal symbionts of MPB. Third objective will determine if altitude and latitude gradients alter the influence of environment and tree genetics on chemical defenses and carbohydrates of pines. The final objective will test if kinship affects plant-to-plant communication via volatile chemicals emitted by trees in response to colonization by MPB in a greenhouse. Information resulting from these studies will be important for both basic and applied understanding of insect invasions in naïve forests. The first three objectives will improve climate change adaptation strategies to invasive insect species. Given that MPB has invaded areas that were historically climatically unsuitable to its survival, the proposed research on the vulnerability of pine trees across the altitudinal and latitudinal gradients is timely and needed for development of policies to manage MPB outbreaks in western Canada. For instance, assisted tree migration is a common climate change adaptation strategy in forestry; however it does not incorporate the effects of climate change on tree vulnerability to pests. Thus, the outcome of this study can be critical for climate change adaptation strategies in Canada and beyond. The planned studies will also determine if environment has a stronger impact on chemical defenses of pines along altitude than latitude gradients; this finding will likely influence climate adaptation and assisted migration programs across Canada and elsewhere. Furthermore, understanding the effects of climate change on microbial symbionts will give us a better knowledge about how they may affect the range expansion of invasive species in this and other regions. Finally, understanding the ecological and evolutionary roles of plant VOCs in tree-to-tree communication may not only improve our understanding of tree survival during insect and pathogen outbreaks but also create opportunities for active management practices such as `priming' or sensitizing induced tree defenses before insect attacks.