Objective The aim of this project is to produce a new synthesis integrating ecological and evolutionary processes. This synthetic approach is based on the fundamental premise that the effects of environmental stochasticity are essential for the understanding of biological processes at every time scale because all natural populations are exposed to a fluctuating environment. Following my recent advances in the development of stochastic population models I will in this proposal address three questions. First, I will examine to whether the ecological effects of a fluctuating environment can be predicted from some basic set of characters distributing species along a slow-fast continuum of life history variation. Secondly, I will using my own long-term study systems partition selection on fitness-related traits into different hierarchical components, which all must be estimated for predicting the rate of evolutionary changes in quantitative characters. Thirdly, I will examine to what extent using a comparative approach how the strength of fluctuating selection caused by environmental change is predictable from basic life history characteristics. I expect that any emerging patterns arising from the evaluation of these hypotheses will represent a major break-through in evolutionary biology because it will enable identification of general principles and processes that affect the rate of change of populations both at ecological and evolutionary time scales and hence provide tools for development of quantitative predictions for the expected rate of Darwinian evolution in fluctuating environments. I further anticipate that the knowledge advanced will have significant implications for research in population biology and its future application in applied conservation biology. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesevolutionary biology Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-AG-LS8 - ERC Advanced Grant - Evolutionary, population and environmental biology Call for proposal ERC-2010-AdG_20100317 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant Coordinator NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU Address Hogskoleringen 1 7491 Trondheim Norway See on map Region Norge Trøndelag Trøndelag Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Bernt-Erik Sæther (Prof.) Administrative Contact Solveig Johnsen (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 2 000 000,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU Norway EU contribution € 2 000 000,00 Address Hogskoleringen 1 7491 Trondheim See on map Region Norge Trøndelag Trøndelag Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Bernt-Erik Sæther (Prof.) Administrative Contact Solveig Johnsen (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window
