Adaptation and Extinction in Changing Environments

Utah State University, Logan UT

Investigators

Abstract

0212487 Pfrender Contemporary natural populations are faced with a challenging suite of changing environmental conditions. The ability of populations to adapt to new conditions depends, in large part, on the patterns of genetic variation underlying adaptive characters. A well-developed theoretical framework exists for analyzing the rate and trajectory of adaptation. However, there is a lack of sufficient empirical data to extend this framework to make predictions about the potential for populations to adapt to changing conditions. This research will make direct comparisons of freshwater invertebrate populations before and after a rapid change in the environment, focusing on a suite of alpine lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California that have known histories of fish introductions. Estimates of the rate and trajectory of adaptation will be obtained by hatching eggs from lake-bottom sediments prior to the introduction of fish and comparing the historical and contemporary populations. Given the current level of anthropogenic influences on the environment, understanding the limits to the process of adaptation in natural populations is critically important. The results of this research will provide important insights into the ecological and genetic processes in natural populations and will be directly applicable to the conservation and management of natural resources and biodiversity, particularly when these are challenged by phenomena such as climate change and invasive species. Sediment cores obtained in these studies will document historical changes in abiotic and biotic lake structure and will be a valuable resource for researchers across a wide range of disciplines. Research and education will be integrated through the training of graduate and undergraduate students. The results of this work will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed journals and direct contact with federal agencies.