To understand how natural populations of plants and animals will respond to climate change, one needs to investigate, not just the effects of climate on the mean rates of birth and death in a population, but also whether effects differ between important subgroups within a population, such as males and females. Previous work in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado by the researchers on this project has revealed that the ratio of males to females changes greatly in response to climate in the widespread plant, edible valerian or Valeriana edulis: warmer or drier conditions favor males. This project will build on that discovery and investigate the mechanisms by which climate affects males differently from females. The project will also test how the differential effects of climate on males and females affect the growth of whole populations. For example, if females become very rare, birth rates may fail to match death rates, causing a population to decline. Results will yield improved tools for understanding how climate change may imbalance natural populations and diminish biodiversity.
The proposed work will have four main broader impacts. First, the investigators will engage the local community in data collection. Volunteer citizen scientists will contribute data while gaining an appreciation for how ecological data can be used to address local and global challenges. Second, the data collected will be integrated into an interactive and publicly available online learning module aimed at undergraduate students. Third, this work will broaden the research training of a doctoral student and provide a research experience for undergraduates. Finally, the work increase societal capacity to manage economically and ecologically important species.
