DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Carry-over effects in space: Beyond single species studies and towards metacommunity dynamics

William Marsh Rice University, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

Understanding what factors determine the distribution and abundance of species across a landscape is a central challenge in ecology. While much progress has been made, little attention has been paid to the history of individuals. Yet, where individuals come from and what conditions they have experienced in the past often strongly affects their current traits and performance. When interacting with other species, such carry-over effects can have the potential to alter the dynamics of populations and species interactions. However, the consequences of these effects for long-term dynamics of communities and the spatial distribution of species are largely unknown. This research project will conduct a combination of experiments using the classic model laboratory system of flour beetle, and apply computational modeling to investigate how carry-over effects influence the dynamics of communities across variable landscapes. By explicitly linking variation at the individual level to spatial variation, this research will provide novel insight into how variation at different organizational scales interacts to determine community dynamics and species coexistence in nature. This research will contribute to society by improving our understanding in applied areas such as conservation biology and invasive species ecology. Conservation biology already recognizes that more high quality individuals improve population persistence, but how individual quality interacts in a community setting is poorly understood. Determining whether complex community interactions are important for how carry-over effects alter population dynamics could open new venues to investigation into conservation program success. Increased understanding of carry-over effects has implications for predicting the successful establishment and spread of invasive species as well, since it explores how habitat quality can combine with species interactions to promote or stop the movement of a species across a landscape. This project will provide multiple undergraduate students with research experience and career mentoring, and will support the dissertation research of a doctoral student.