Effects of intra-population variation in dogwhelk drilling on the abundance and size of Mytilus californianus mussels

Few eco-evolutionary studies have analyzed the impacts that evolutionary processes have on community dynamics in a natural field setting. We studied the effects of intra-population variation in predation in a marine dogwhelk (Nucella canaliculata) on mussel bed succession. We outplanted dogwhelks that were reared on four early-life diet treatments and showed evidence of differential mortality and variation in drilling capacity in the lab to experimental field cages and followed the trajectory of succession over the course of a year. At the end of the experiment, the organisms within the cages were collected and the mussels (Mytilus californianus) were measured. Mussels represent the end stage of succession, thus we studied whether variation in drilling traits would impact the size and structure of the mussel bed.鲜有生态进化研究（eco-evolutionary studies）在自然野外环境中解析进化过程对群落动态的影响。本研究以海洋蛾螺（Nucella canaliculata）为研究对象，探究其种群内捕食性状变异对贻贝床演替（mussel bed succession）的影响。我们将实验室中经4种早期日粮处理饲养、且表现出差异化死亡率与钻孔能力（drilling capacity）变异的蛾螺，定植至野外实验笼（experimental field cages）中，并连续跟踪记录了为期一年的演替轨迹。实验结束后，我们收集了实验笼内的全部受试生物，并对加州贻贝（Mytilus californianus）进行了测量。鉴于贻贝是演替的终末阶段类群，本研究旨在探究钻孔性状（drilling traits）变异是否会对贻贝床的规模与结构产生影响。