SHIRMAN
Ecology and Evolution of Shifting Range Margins in Glacier-fed Streams
| Coordinatore | THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Organization address
address: Edgbaston contact info |
| Nazionalità Coordinatore | United Kingdom [UK] |
| Totale costo | 173˙240 € |
| EC contributo | 173˙240 € |
| Programma | FP7-PEOPLE
Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) |
| Code Call | FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IIF |
| Funding Scheme | MC-IIF |
| Anno di inizio | 2010 |
| Periodo (anno-mese-giorno) | 2010-07-01 - 2012-06-30 |
Partecipanti
| # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Organization address
address: Edgbaston contact info |
UK (BIRMINGHAM) | coordinator | 173˙240.80 |
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Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)
'Ongoing climate change is resulting in an unprecedented rate and direction of species range shifts. Despite the urgent need to understand controls on and consequences of range shifts, little empirical work has been done. Glacier-fed streams provide an ideal ecological observatory for monitoring the dynamics of the leading edges of shifting ranges as glaciers rapidly recede and make available new stream habitat. The main objective of the proposed research is to use a novel blend of evolutionary and ecological tools to evaluate key influences on the shifting locations of range margins in glacier-fed streams. A secondary objective is to infer the outcome of upward range shifts on regional-scale patterns of stream biodiversity. The project comprises 4 main tasks. First, we select a glacial region (from a list of many of high potential) to accomplish a statistically robust study design for evaluating range margin vs. long-term stable locations. We do this for three target species – an insect primary and secondary consumer and a salmonid top predator – each with evidence of upward-shifting range margins. Second, we evaluate using molecular markers the recent demographic history of the primary consumer at range margin vs. long-term stable sites. Third, we analyse carbon stable-isotope ratios of each of the three target species to understand degree of feeding opportunism at the margin vs. stable sites. Fourth, we use species and genetic diversity estimates to test an existing hypothesis that upward-shifting ranges cause decreasing regional-scale (beta) diversity in higher-altitude streams. We hypothesize that limiting conditions present at the margins will yield a signal of demographic instability (bottleneck/founder events) and opportunistic feeding. The combination of methods in the study will provide a synthetic understanding of range margin dynamics and will stimulate research ideas in other ecosystems.'