Project Grant 2306183

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville received a $275,142 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083) to conduct research on how climate warming may impact species coexistence through changes in competition-predation trade-offs. The university will use experiments on damselflies to develop an understanding of how increased temperature affects these trade-offs at the behavioral, physiological and evolutionary levels. Laboratory experiments will assess the impacts of warming on competition and predation, followed by genetic studies of relevant traits and field experiments using large outdoor enclosures. In addition to advancing scientific knowledge, the award supports training the next generation of scientists through involvement of K-12 educators, undergraduates and graduate students. Findings could provide insight into how and why communities are structured and may change with future climate conditions. The research also examines species evolution within communities and builds connections between behavioral, physiological and evolutionary processes determining climate warming impacts.