Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

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The Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK) is offering a funding opportunity to develop and apply an agent-based model for salmonids in complex and non-equilibrium stream environments, and to advance the understanding of spatial population genetics in salmonid populations. Classic population genetic theory provide an idealized model of populations structure and gene flow, which fails in many ways to reflect fundamental processes that act in real environments that are temporally disequilibria and spatially complex. The traditional perspectives and analytical methods do not facilitate further progress; rather in many cases they have become an obstacle to further progress by repeatedly leading researchers to ask the wrong questions or utilize methods that are incapable of solving the most important challenges. Therefore, a number of major innovations requiring a high level of originality will be required to integrate population genetic theory and fully spatial and temporal dynamics. This opportunity will require the development of new theories and complex methodologies, including reconceptualizing classic population genetic theory, developing sophisticated simulation modeling tools to explore gene flow in landscapes with a range of spatial and temporal complexity, and the development of novel statistical modeling approaches to measure and predict gene flow.

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