Dissertation Research: Ecological Determinants and          Evolutionary Consequences of Dispersal
{'Code': '08010207', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Tarri Joyner', 'PO_EMAI': 'tjoyner@nsf.gov', 'PO_PHON': '7032927742'}
Most natural populations exhibit cycles of growth and                      decline.  In addition, the number of individuals of a given                     species may increase in one area while it is decreasing in a                    neighboring locale.  These local dynamics are tied together by                  individuals that move from one population to another, i.e.                      disperse, over the course of their lifetime.  This research                     project focuses on two particular aspects of dispersal in                       animals.  First, dispersal provides immigrants to areas from                    which a species has disappeared thus compensating for small scale               extinctions which commonly occur in many species and ensuring                   long term persistence.  Moreover, dispersal forms the basis for                 gene flow, one of the key factors that determine the genetic                    structure of populations.  The following questions will be                      addressed.  1) How frequently should animals disperse in a given                situation assuming that this strategy significantly influences                  their chances of survival and reproduction?  2) What are the                    critical factors that could trigger large scale extinction in                   this network of local extinction and recolonization?  3) How much               genetic variation can be maintained in such a system of                         interconnected populations thereby providing the raw material for               evolutionary change?                                                                 The principal investigator will approach these questions by                contrasting a computer simulation with a field study on the pond-               dwelling water beetle Dineutus assimilis.  The rate at which                    these beetles move from pond to pond will be measured in the                    field and genetic differences among the study populations will be               quantified by analyzing mitochondrial DNA variants.  This                       molecular technique is a powerful tool to describe small scale                  genetic variation in animals.  The information obtained in the                  field will be used to check the assumptions on which the                        simulation is based.  The computer model can then be used to                    extrapolate beyond this particular natural system to explore the                consequences of dispersal over a wider range of conditions.
[{'FirstName': 'Beate', 'LastName': 'Nurnberger', 'PI_MID_INIT': None, 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Beate Nurnberger', 'EmailAddress': None, 'NSF_ID': '000172705', 'StartDate': '01/15/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'Richard', 'LastName': 'Harrison', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'G', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Richard G Harrison', 'EmailAddress': 'rgh4@cornell.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000227768', 'StartDate': '01/15/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}]
{'Name': 'Cornell University', 'CityName': 'ITHACA', 'ZipCode': '148502820', 'PhoneNumber': '6072555014', 'StreetAddress': '341 PINE TREE RD', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'New York', 'StateCode': 'NY', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '19', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'NY19', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'G56PUALJ3KT5', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'CORNELL UNIVERSITY', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
{'Code': '1127', 'Text': 'Evolutionary Processes'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8815461.xml'}