Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/P00962X/1
Hybridisation, speciation and genetic structure in a woodland specialist
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Professor EJH Robinson, University of York, Biology
- Grant held at:
- University of York, Biology
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- Forestry, sylviculture
- Agricultural systems
- Behavioural Ecology
- Conservation Ecology
- Population Ecology
- Systematics & Taxonomy
- Abstract:
- Introduction Forestry occupies 13% of British land area and mainly consists of plantations managed for timber production. Britain's forest resource also offers key habitat for woodland species; however, maintaining biodiversity under the demands of timber production can be challenging. The highly fragmented nature of British woodlands is a further challenge for management and maintenance of biodiversity. Fragmentation leads to isolation, usually reducing genetic diversity of woodland dwelling species, particularly in species with poor dispersal abilities and exacting habitat requirements such as wood ants (Formica rufa group). These species, threatened across Europe, are key components of woodland ecosystems and their disappearance would have cascading negative effects on other woodland species. Thus, wood ants offer an ideal study system to explore the impact of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity of woodland species. A fragmented wood ant population in the North York Moors (NYM), mostly in plantation forests, has unexpectedly high genetic diversity and surprisingly, some individuals within this population are more similar to other wood ant species than to members of their own population. This could indicate interbreeding and hybridization between two species or even a new species. Aims Our new study will clarify the conservation status of the genetically unusual NYM wood ant population and will use wood ants to study how dispersal and habitat fragmentation influence formation of hybrids and new species. We will do this by comparing the genetic diversity of the NYM population to samples from across the UK and Eurasia. Our findings could show that the NYM population is genetically unusual with high conservation value. In this case, local studies will aim at understanding what creates the unusually high diversity and identify any new species. We will investigate sex-specific dispersal, social organisation and local movement patterns using radio-tagging. Alternatively, we may find that high local genetic diversity occurs in ant populations throughout Eurasia. In this the case, we will test for recurrent Eurasiawide hybridisation by comparing the physical and genetic characteristics within and between ant species at local and global scales. These data will allow investigation of how wood ants spread and diversified at the continental scale after the last glacial period. Research team The collaboration involves the University of York, CASE partner Forest Research, and a project partner (University of Helsinki). Several of the team have successfully collaborated together before. The supervisory team provide a range of skills, including genetic techniques, fieldwork skills, landscape analysis, and expertise in forest management and invertebrate ecology/evolution. This combination offers a challenging and well-supported training environment and enables the student to acquire a diverse skill set with excellent employment prospects. Applications and benefits The student will receive thorough postgraduate training supported by a multidisciplinary team of supervisors with a strong research background and experience in postgraduate supervision. This study will provide novel data on genetic processes in woodland specialist species: it will benefit the academic ecology/evolution communities, policy-makers and forest managers. Forests are economically important not only in UK, but also globally. The Forestry Commission (FC) aims to protect and enhance overall woodland biodiversity at both landscape and local levels. To do this we need high quality species-level data to ensure conservation actions are targeted appropriately. The results of our research will set the NYM wood ant population in its broader European context which will inform foresters, including FC practitioners, and DEFRA policy-makers in the development of appropriate management strategies for the conservation and promotion of these key woodland species.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/P00962X/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Industrial CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £92,374
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - DSA | Total - Fees | Total - Student Stipend | Total - RTSG |
|---|---|---|---|
| £4,082 | £17,296 | £59,998 | £11,000 |
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