Regan Cross PhD, Eckert Lab Long-term experimental analysis of ecological and evolutionary processes at a species’ range limit Why do species have stable range limits – and what happens if they break free? Many species’ geographic ranges have historically been stable in space, but they may shift as climate change alters habitats. My thesis first looks at why species have stable range limits; what prevents them from dispersing beyond their ranges and adapting to the new habitat? I briefly review the current state of the field of range limits and provide a novel long-term test of whether a species’ range is limited by its niche. Next, I examine a few things that might happen if species shift their ranges using a beyond-range transplant experiment with the best coastal dune plant, Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia. First, I ask: are populations from the range center or edge better suited to establish in beyond-range habitat? And second: did populations adapt to beyond-range conditions over ten generations? Finally, I test whether local or genetically mixed populations perform best within the range, to inform conservation efforts to re-establish populations and restore habitats. Come to my talk to learn about the mechanisms stopping species from expanding their ranges, some of the ecological and evolutionary processes going on during range shifts, and which populations are best used for conservation efforts like assisted migration and habitat restoration! (The photo is me with my first flowering transplant in 2018.)
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