A framework for quantifying such effects is critical as changing environmental conditions affect the abundance and diversity of parasitic species across the globe (up to 1/3 of global parasite diversity is projected to go extinct within the next 50 years). For example, parasites may indirectly alter the flow of energy and nutrients through ecosystems by reducing host densities (i.e., by killing hosts or reducing their rates of reproduction), altering host traits (e.g., foraging behavior and landscape use), and modifying the ways in which hosts process nutrients. However, parasite effects on host behavior, physiology, and demography could also have far-reaching effects on ecosystem-level processes such as carbon and nitrogen cycling. Parasites are infamous for their direct negative effects on host individuals and populations. Rachel Penczykowski, Washington University (Biology) Photo credit: Robert SpaanĪmanda, Koltz, Washington University (Biology) The African buffalo is one species of herbivorous ungulate whose activity may influence ecosystem nutrient cycling. Quantifying Effects of Parasites on Ecosystem Nutrient Cycling Using these resources, we will also generate preliminary data to determine whether bluntnose minnows from urban areas respond differently to elevated temperature and chloride compared to populations from more rural areas. For this project, we will develop genetic resources that will allow us to use the bluntnose minnow as a model to study responses of freshwater biodiversity to recent environmental changes. The bluntnose minnow ( Pimephales notatus) is a fish species which occurs across the central United States and is common in St. While the conservation of biodiversity in urban areas is critical, species in urban systems can also serve as models for understanding ecological and evolutionary responses to rapid environmental change. Urban areas represent a nexus of these stressors where urbanization and increasing air temperatures are negatively impacting water quality and decreasing suitable habitat for freshwater biodiversity. Nevertheless, these systems are experiencing multiple impacts from human activities, including effects from land use alterations and climate change. Wesley Warren, Washington University (McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine)įreshwater ecosystems provide fundamentally important resources for society. Developing the Bluntnose Minnow ( Pimephales notatus) as a Model for Studying Genomic Responses of Freshwater Species to Urban Environmentsĭr. This proposal funds a workshop to be held at the Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica in Ecuador to bring together biologists from the Saint Louis Zoo, the Missouri Botanical Garden, Centro Jambatu, Universidad Tecnologica Indoamerica, the Andean Bear Alliance and Washington University to develop new approaches to document and conserve Ecuadorian biodiversity, as well as to prioritize areas for research based on current knowledge of species diversity and threats. Experts speculate there are still hundreds of species of amphibians and plants awaiting discovery. With such rampant deforestation in addition to several other threats, species are being lost at an alarming rate, even species that are still unknown to science. Nora Oleas, Universidad Tecnológica IndoaméricaĬonsidered a biodiversity hotspot, Ecuador has the second highest deforestation rate in South America. A Multidisciplinary Approach to Investigating Ecuadorian Species and Habitats The next call for proposals will be late 2018 or early 2019. Below are the nine projects that received seed grants. The Living Earth Collaborative put out its first call for grants in Spring 2018.
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