Molecular Ecology, Evolution Genetics Area
The Molecular Ecology, Evolution, and Genetics (MEEG) thrust area is to support and advance a highly collaborative, competitively funded research program that applies molecular genetic techniques to focal questions about the ecology, evolution, and conservation of tropical organisms. The continued development of a highly competitive research program in evolutionary and conservation genetics is critical to the scholarship, training and educational objectives of the Center for Tropical Applied Ecology and Conservation. The strong collaborative links between research projects within MEEG and those of other subgroups underscores its critical role within CREST and its importance for the development of future research.
The proposal supports a new set of core-projects to both complement previous research and stimulate new avenues of investigation. We have chosen these projects to promote and apply a new paradigm for conservation genetics in high-diversity tropical ecosystems.
This approach aims to improve our understanding of the management of these systems - including
endangered species, poorly understood native species, and even introduced or pathogenic species of
ecological and economic importance. With this holistic approach to conservation genetics we seek to
generate tools for a taxonomically diverse set of organisms representing multiple ecological systems and use these tools to answer fundamental questions about the biology and genetic diversity of tropical species, and ultimately promote conservation and management of these genetic resources.
The four core projects will focus on the use of molecular tools to study both native and introduced
species in Puerto Rico and its associated islands, especially Mona Island. Specifically, MEEG will
support research on:
- the conservation genetics of native plant species;
- the genetic diversity of feral ungulates;
- the diversity of bacterial communities in feral ungulate populations; and
- the diversity and origin of a coral fungal disease.
OBJECTIVE:
The objective of these projects is to help us better understand the genetics of endangered and economically-important native species, as well as understand the impact and dynamics of introduced or pathogenic species influencing native tropical systems. The data generated by each of these subprojects are similar in that they will provide important insights into the distribution and origin of genetic variation of tropical species, but in each case this information will have distinct implications and applications to conservation biology.
Each of the core projects is focused on local conservation, especially species and ecosystems
found in and around Puerto Rico and Mona Island. However, the questions being addressed have also been chosen for their potential to be applied more broadly in the future, especially at the scale of the Caribbean Basin, or to the tropics in general. This means that each project will produce high-quality, publishable research in conservation genetics, and at the same time will serve as a seed to seek funding for more ambitious projects at the regional or international level in the future.
GOAL:
A primary goal of MEEG is to foster scientific collaboration and interaction. Towards this goal,
projects have been designed to take advantage of interaction between investigators within the MEEG
subgroup, with CATEC researchers, the University of Puerto Rico system, and the local and international scientific communities. For example, nearly all of these projects will involve coordinated sampling in specific areas of Puerto Rico, and especially Mona Island, and will depend on the collaboration and assistance of other people and organizations, such as the wildlife biologists at the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (PR-DNER).
OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE:
Endangered species and beyond: a new paradigm for conservation genetics in a biodiversity hotspot. The Caribbean region has been identified as a critically important world biodiversity hotspot1, and as such, presents both opportunities and challenges for conservation. The challenge is that time is short. Many Caribbean ecosystems have already been impacted by the stress of habitat degradation caused by human population growth and urban development, and other factors such as the impact of invasive species. Additionally, the entire system will continue to be influenced by the unpredictable effects of global climate change. The opportunity is for Puerto Rico to continue to be a leader in applied tropical conservation genetics by developing high quality scientific research that demonstrates the power of molecular tools to understand and manage this diversity. The fundamental goal of the proposed MEEGcore projects is to develop and advance a broad, integrated and novel approach to conservation genetics in the tropics.
Conservation genetics most often focuses on the characterization and understanding of genetic diversity in endangered species, and the use of this information for their management and conservation. However, true conservation must involve a broader approach that not only includes the management of endangered species, but also the management of genetic resources as a whole, and the understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes affecting the long-term survival of high-diversity systems. For this reason MEEG core projects are designed to demonstrate this broader, more applied, concept of conservation genetics. To achieve this goal, MEEG research efforts will focus on four new core projects:
1) comparative conservation genetics of two native plant species;
2) characterization of genetic diversity of feral ungulates on Mona Island;
3) characterization of the bacterial microfloras of these animals; and
4) genetic characterization of fungal outbreaks on coral reef systems.
Mona Island, located between Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, is where much of the work of MEEG
has been carried out in the past and continues to be an important component of each of the new projects. Mona Island will serve as a model system to demonstrate this broad approach to conservation genetics that we hope to promote. The understanding and management of endangered species continues to be a priority, as in previous core-projects within MEEG. Here, we propose to study the population genetics of an endangered cactus, Harrisia portoricensis. However, the information obtained on this endangered species will not stand in isolation, but instead will complement several projects that contribute to a broader understanding of the complexities of conservation genetics. For example, the distribution and survival of this species is affected not only by the native species with which it interacts, but also by introduced species such as feral ungulates. These pigs and goats not only affect the distribution and abundance of species within the ecosystem through browsing and physical disturbance, but may act as dispersers of seeds and as agents of transport for everything from parasites to bacterial communities. Their effect on microbial communities is particularly understudied; each animal contains its own flora, which is largely unknown, and potentially interacts with soil microbial communities. The genetics of the feral animals themselves is another important and as of yet unexplored piece of this conservation puzzle. Not only can we understand the evolutionary processes involved when domesticated animals become feral, isolated, and integrated into a natural ecosystem, but we can understand them as a potential genetic reservoirs for the improvement of domestic animals. While elimination of such invasive species from places like Mona Island may ultimately be beneficial to the native ecosystem, we must take advantage of the natural experiment that this system currently presents to understand their impact at multiple scales and identify possible opportunities that benefit both humans and natural ecosystems.
KEY GOALS OF THE MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND GENETICS AREA:
The Molecular Ecology, Evolution, and Genetics (MEEG) area will build upon past successes and continue to create a research program dedicated to the application of powerful molecular genetic techniques to important questions about the ecology, evolution, and conservation of tropical organisms. Here we propose to exploit the diverse, nested system of tropical islands found in Puerto Rico for the purpose of characterizing, understanding and conserving biodiversity at multiple scales. This information will not only contribute to our fundamental understanding of the evolutionary and ecological processes responsible for observed patterns of genetic diversity, but also help us better manage and conserve this diversity.
Each of the core projects is designed to serve several purposes. Foremost, they are designed to address specific questions about the biology of important species of conservation interest. Towards this goal, molecular markers will be employed to investigate genetic diversity at different biological scales, in different taxa and different ecosystems. Second, these projects are designed to encourage collaboration and communication between scientists with different specializations and interests. Interconnectivity among MEEG projects and with other projects in CATEC will ensure the full exploitation of our strengths in tropical ecology, conservation and genetics. The third goal of MEEG is that the products of this research and resulting collaborations encourage the development of additional, non-CREST funded research projects in ecological, evolutionary and conservation genetics within the University of Puerto Rico system and in collaboration with regional, national and international colleagues. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, MEEG will serve as a core center both in the Caribbean and across the Neotropics for the training and education of local, national and international students interested in learning about the application of molecular markers to problems in conservation. Achieving these goals will serve to advance the quality of scientific research in Puerto Rico and at the same time promote understanding and conservation of the unique tropical ecosystems that are found here.
