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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Plains CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G16AS00064).

Which federal agency offered this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), through the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC).

What type of funding mechanism was used?

This was a discretionary research and development award using a cooperative agreement mechanism. The intent was that the funded work would be carried out in close collaboration with USGS scientists, rather than as a fully independent, contract-style effort.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to eligible Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) partners under the Great Plains CESU network. While the eligibility category was listed broadly as "Others," the description clarifies the CESU partner requirement.

Which CESU network applied to this opportunity?

This opportunity was specific to partners in the Great Plains CESU network.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G16AS00064.

What CFDA program was this opportunity associated with?

The opportunity fell under CFDA 15.808.

How many awards were expected?

The opportunity indicated a single expected award.

What was the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling was $165,000.

When was the opportunity posted and created?

The posting and creation date was May 4, 2016.

What was the application deadline?

The application deadline was May 16, 2016.

What was the overall purpose of the project?

The core purpose was to support research on how aquatic system connectivity influences biological diversity at multiple biological scales, using the northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) as a model species.

What does "aquatic system connectivity" mean in the context of this project?

In this project, connectivity refers to the extent to which aquatic habitats remain connected across watershed and landscape scales versus becoming fragmented. The concept focuses on how connections (or breaks in connections) influence movement, recolonization, and mixing among populations and habitats.

Which species was used as the model organism?

The northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) was identified as the model species for studying connectivity and biodiversity relationships.

Why was the northern leopard frog selected for this research?

The opportunity describes the northern leopard frog as a strong model for connectivity research because its life history involves aquatic habitat complementarity. It depends on multiple aquatic habitat types across its life cycle and may shift among wetlands, lakes, and streams depending on life stage and changing habitat availability.

What is "aquatic habitat complementarity" as described in the opportunity?

Aquatic habitat complementarity refers to a life-history strategy where a species depends on multiple aquatic habitat types across its life cycle. In this case, the northern leopard frog may use different aquatic habitats at different times or life stages, making it useful for understanding how networks of habitats support movement and persistence.

Which spatial scales were emphasized for connectivity analysis?

The work was framed around connectivity at watershed and landscape scales.

How does climate variability and climate change relate to the project goals?

The scientific motivation was tied to climate variability and climate change, especially drought. As aquatic habitats shrink, disappear, or reappear over time, species may need to shift ranges, recolonize areas, or move among habitat patches. Connectivity was treated as a key factor affecting resilience when water availability changes.

How was genetic information expected to be used in the project?

The opportunity emphasized genetic information as a practical record of movement and demographic history across the landscape. Population expansion, contraction, decline, and mixing via dispersal and migration can leave measurable signatures in DNA, which can be used to infer connectivity and related processes.

What genetic outcomes were highlighted as relevant indicators of connectivity?

The description specifically notes that higher connectivity often leads to higher population genetic diversity, such as increased heterozygosity. It also references additional genetic indicators used to infer mixing, landscape-level connectivity, and geographic population structure.

What is heterozygosity and why was it mentioned?

Heterozygosity was mentioned as an example of population genetic diversity that often increases when connectivity allows more interbreeding among groups. The opportunity links genetic diversity to adaptive capacity, supporting persistence under environmental change.

What is "effective population size" and why was it included?

Effective population size was identified as a useful metric in the opportunity because it is associated with extinction risk. The project description highlights it as one of the genetic indicators that could inform understanding of population viability in relation to connectivity.

What is meant by "population genetic structure" in this opportunity?

Population genetic structure was described as a way to interpret demographic processes and how populations are organized geographically. It can help reveal how strongly groups are mixing and how movement among habitats shapes diversity patterns.

How does the opportunity relate to source-sink dynamics?

The description notes that population genetic structure can help interpret demographic processes such as source-sink dynamics, where some habitats consistently produce dispersers (sources) and others depend on immigrants to persist (sinks).

What biological scales of diversity were intended to be studied?

The opportunity referenced biological diversity at multiple scales, including within-population genetic diversity, species-level patterns, and broader ecosystem-scale biodiversity.

What kinds of habitat types were specifically mentioned as relevant to the model species?

The opportunity mentions wetlands, lakes, and streams as aquatic habitat types the northern leopard frog may use across its life cycle, reinforcing the focus on habitat networks and connectivity.

What was the expected connection between hydrologic connectivity and biological outcomes?

Research funded under the opportunity was expected to link habitat networks and hydrologic connectivity with biological outcomes, using the northern leopard frog as a focal species to understand broader patterns tied to aquatic ecosystem resilience.

How does this work connect to resilience in the Great Plains?

The opportunity framed the research as relevant to aquatic ecosystem resilience in the Great Plains and similar regions, particularly under changing water availability and drought-related habitat dynamics.

Was this opportunity intended to be conducted independently by the recipient?

No. Because it used a cooperative agreement mechanism, the project was intended to be carried out in close collaboration with USGS scientists, rather than as a fully independent effort.