The seeds and the available field and experimental data create the fundament of the existing add-on studies and are accessible for any future add-on research.
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MOTIVATION FOR ADD-ON STUDIES
Research on among-population variation (APV) usually focuses on specific aspects and traits, primarily either genomic, metabolomic, or phenotypic data and is usually studied in only one experimental context. This is a problem because the determinants and aspects of APV may vary depending on traits and environmental contexts. Thus, synthesizing diverse aspects of APV is essential for uncovering its ecological and evolutionary implications.
The iCONNECT proposes to address the research gap by utilizing diverse APV data in Conyza canadensis. Our collaborative efforts expand cooperation among researchers and promote a culture of data and knowledge exchange and expertise sharing. We plan to explore how the determinants of APV (i.e., source population history information; see graphical abstract below) influence the expression of APV across diverse aspects of APV (i.e., experimental trait data; see graphical abstract below). By synthesizing these diverse datasets, we pioneer the exploration of complex biotic and abiotic interactions shaping APV in globally distributed species, offering vital insights into eco-evolutionary dynamics.
OVERALL AIMS:
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To identify the determinants of APV across global scales.
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To determine if the determinants are concordant across diverse aspects of APV.
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To enhance our understanding of APV through the synthesis of diverse data.
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To advance research on APV through collaborative solutions.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: Determinants and aspects of among-population variation (APV) in the model species Conyza canadensis. The graph illustrates how determinants (e.g. competitive regime) affect aspects of APV (e.g. competitive ability) as assessed in various experiments (e.g. competition treatment). The arbitrary, non-exhaustive example shows how direct (solid arrows) and indirect effects (dashed arrows) jointly determine diverse aspects of APV. The main motivations of our research are presented in grey boxes. The determinants are collected from the field, and include co-ancestry, climatic, performance and biotic-abiotic interaction data. The aspects are investigated experimentally, and include phenotypic, eco-metabolomic and metagenomic data.