This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2009. The fellowship supports a research and training plan entitled "Adaptive Behavior and Evolution as Mechanisms of Population Stability" for Candace Low. The host institutions for this research are Cornell University and Simon Fraser University and the sponsoring scientists are Profs. Stephen Ellner and Bernard Roitberg, respectively.
Population dynamics can be influenced by "adaptive evolution", or the process that allows populations to become better suited to their environment. However, the explicit incorporation of adaptive evolution is often ignored in populations dynamics models because the timescale at which evolutionary change occurs is considered to be beyond the scope of our lifetimes, or "ecological time". The research combines the use of computational techniques and a long-term data set collected on a leaf-mining moth called the Tupelo Leafminer (Antispila nysaefoliella), which is parasitized by numerous species. The resulting models will indicate if the Tupelo Leafminer is evolving in response to the presence of parasitoids.
The training objectives include theoretical modeling, integration of general principles of evolutionary and ecology theory, and application of a rich data set from an insect population. The broader impact of the modeling will help the general public to understand the importance of adaptation in structuring natural communities and lead to the design of safe and effective biological control methods for pest management. Educational impacts include training for the Fellow who will mentor women and minority students through the NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates and local programs that focus on ecological sustainability.
