Details of Award
NERC Reference : NER/B/S/2001/00239
Using measures of dispersal to study coexistence and sex ratios in a tropical ant-plant symbiosis.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor DW Yu, University of East Anglia, Biological Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr B Emerson, University of East Anglia, Biological Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of East Anglia, Biological Sciences
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Science Topics:
- Population Genetics/Evolution
- Population Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Abstract:
- Dispersal lays the template on which other biological processes take place. Censuses and experiment have shown that two competing ant genera, both specialists of an ant-plant, show spatial structuring consistent with a tradeoff between propagule dispersal ability and adult fecundity, allowing coexistence when patch density varies. Poor dispersal can also produce population viscosity, local resource competition and skewed sex ratios. We propose to isolate microsatellite markers from two ant species, which will be used to measure relatednesses within colonies, amongst ant foundresses competing for the same saplings, and to match foundresses with natal colonies, allowing reconstruction of dispersal kernels and quantification of the level of local resource competition. The results of this work will connect dispersal biology with the study of spatial ecology, sex ratio evolution and the maintenance of cooperation in mutualisms.
- NERC Reference:
- NER/B/S/2001/00239
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Small Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Small Grants
This grant award has a total value of £31,365
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|
| £17,506 | £5,807 | £8,053 |
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