The Impacts of Dispersal and Genetic Diversity on the Stability of Environmentally Forced Metacommunities

Wayne State University, Detroit MI

Investigators

Abstract

Environmental change produced by human activities is widely recognized as having major negative effects on our planet's biodiversity. Two of the resulting scientific challenges are to determine how reductions in biodiversity influence the health of ecosystems, and how biodiversity can be maintained. Genetic variation found within populations of species is a critical component of biodiversity and is essential for population adaptation and persistence in the face of changing environmental conditions. Little is known about the effects of this variation on natural communities and ecosystems. This project combines outdoor experiments in freshwater ponds with mathematical models to identify these effects. The investigator will determine if genetic diversity among individuals can stabilize natural communities, allowing them to persist in the face environmental change, and if the transport of individuals among communities can maintain genetic diversity and thus promote this stabilizing effect. This project will provide research opportunities in aquatic ecology for undergraduate and graduate students at Wayne State University. With a minority enrollment of 37%, Wayne State University has the most diverse university student body in Michigan. This diversity increases the investigator's opportunities to involve under-represented groups in hands-on research experiences. This project will also provide support for graduate students who will carry out experiments during summers, supervise undergraduate research projects, and have the opportunity to develop their own independent research projects. The research focuses on freshwater ponds, and these habitats provide diverse ecosystem services to society. Results will inform land managers and conservation biologists who strive to maintain these habitats in a healthy state.