CAREER:Why Are Species Where They Are? Identifying the Interplay of the Evolutionary, Environmental, and Biotic Mechanisms Driving Niche Diversification in Oedipodinae Grasshoppers

Miami University, Oxford OH

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). The geographic range of a species is one of its most important characteristics. Such a range is primarily determined by the ecological niche of the species, which represents the environmental conditions (such as temperature, precipitation, or vegetation) that are suitable for the species and allow it to survive and reproduce. For example, the ecological niche of the Indian tiger is represented by high temperature, high precipitation, and dense vegetation. Sometimes, similar species have very different ecological niches. The ecological niche of the snow leopard is very different from that of the tiger, even though the two species are closely related. When ecological niches differ between two related species, it can be said that these ecological niches have diverged. But how much and in what ways do ecological niches diverge between two similar species? Here, the researcher will explore niche divergence among more than 150 species of grasshoppers from throughout North America. The knowledge and tools gained from this project will be applicable to a broad variety of questions related to important topics, such as species diversity (why are there so many species in the tropics?), species conservation (how much change in environmental conditions can a species endure?), or human health (can a tropical disease spread to areas with moderate climates?). The project will provide research and educational opportunities in state-of-the-art methods in ecology and evolution at the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. Despite the importance of understanding niche divergence in the fields of ecology and evolution, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of niche divergence and the mechanisms that drive their evolution have not been explored in a comprehensive way. This research will address knowledge gaps via a new theoretical and analytical framework to classify and quantify ecological niche divergence between taxa. This new classification system 1) promises to enhance understanding of different types of niche divergence; 2) can be applied to any ecosystem or group of organisms; and 3) can be used to address a broad variety of ecological and evolutionary questions. The framework will be used to explore the evolutionary, environmental, and biotic factors driving niche divergence in grasshoppers in the subfamily Oedipodinae, as a model system. Specific educational goals include advancing bioinformatics literacy necessary for success in STEM fields, providing applied skills to work with a variety of big data, and training students in interdisciplinary, integrative approaches for understanding patterns of biodiversity and advancing conservation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.