Factors affecting niche and genetic subdivision in animal populations

我的研究项目是调查水生动物对资源的利用，以及它们的生态位如何随着人类活动而变化。此外，我使用遗传工具来了解动物群体是否彼此相连或分离，并帮助划定适当的地理尺度进行管理和保护规划。在拟议的项目中，我的小组将使用下一代DNA测序来检查加拿大中部主要流域的白眼鱼和萨格鱼种群之间的遗传关系。同时，我们将利用生物化学标记（稳定同位素）来表征这些物种之间的生态位重叠，并确定生态位重叠在杂交生产中的潜在重要性。该研究的一个重要方面是评估人工水库的潜力，通过将walleye和sauger放在一个新的环境背景下来改变生态位重叠的水平。该计划还将使用生化标记来检查食鱼双冠鸬鹚和食肉运动鱼之间的生态位重叠。我们特别感兴趣的是确定人类对白眼的过度开发是否为鸬鹚释放了生态位空间，并通过生态位替代为鸬鹚数量的增长和扩张提供了一般机制。换句话说，我们希望确定当人类为鸬鹚创造这样的机会时，它们是否会变成“飞鱼眼”。该计划还将利用存档的生化和遗传学数据集，以湖白鱼和圆白鱼为测试对象，研究两种调查之间的模式。我的研究将通过提高我们对人类活动如何影响水生动物生态位和塑造生态相互作用的认识和观点，为科学做出贡献。此外，它将为鱼类种群的遗传描述和杂交检测提供新的见解。拟议的计划广泛涉及经济上重要的物种；黑眼鱼、长尾鱼和白鱼是加拿大价值数十亿美元的淡水捕鱼业的关键组成部分，鸬鹚因为对这种极其宝贵的资源的明显影响而受到迫害。因此，我们必须有最好的科学支持来帮助管理决策。拟议的计划有望帮助指导有关水生栖息地改变、鱼类管理和放养以及鸬鹚/渔业冲突的方法的适当政策。最后，这项工作与资源使用者（例如垂钓者、商业渔民）有直接关系和利害关系，他们经常寻求有关目标物种和生态系统管理的资料。

My research program investigates resource use by aquatic animals, and how their niche changes in response to human activities. In addition, I use genetic tools to understand whether groups of animals are connected or disjunct from one another, and to help delineate appropriate geographic scales for management and conservation planning. In the proposed program my group will use next-generation DNA sequencing to examine genetic relationships among walleye and sauger populations across major watersheds in central Canada. At the same time, we will characterize niche overlap between these species using biochemical markers (stable isotopes), and determine the potential importance of niche overlap in producing hybrid saugeye. An important aspect of the research is assessing the potential for human-made reservoirs to change levels of niche overlap by putting walleye and sauger together in a novel environmental context. The proposed program will also use biochemical markers to examine niche overlap between fish-eating double-crested cormorants and predatory sport fish. We are specifically interested in determining whether human over-exploitation of walleye has freed-up niche space for cormorants, providing a general mechanism for cormorant population growth and expansion via niche replacement. In other words, we wish to determine whether cormorants become “flying walleye” when humans create the opportunity for them to do so. The proposed program will also take advantage of archived biochemical and genetics datasets to examine patterns between the two types of investigations using lake and round whitefish as test subjects. My research will contribute to science by advancing our knowledge and perspective on how human activities influence aquatic animal niche and shape ecological interactions. Moreover, it will provide novel insights into the genetic delineation of fish populations and detection of hybrids. The proposed program deals extensively with economically important species; walleye, sauger, and whitefish are key components of the multi-billion-dollar freshwater fishing industry in Canada, and cormorants are persecuted because of perceived impacts on this extremely valuable resource. Thus, it is imperative that we have the best supporting science available to aid management decisions. The proposed program is expected to help guide appropriate policy around aquatic habitat alterations, fish management and stocking, and the approach to cormorant/fisheries conflicts. Lastly, the work is of direct relevance and interest to resource users (e.g., anglers, commercial fishers), who often seek information about management of target species and ecosystems.