Structure of Plant-Arthropod Associations: Differences Related to Habitat Adversity and Stage of Establishment

草食动物与黄花（Solidago altissima）之间的关系将在纽约伊萨卡附近的几个地点进行研究，目的是解释植物-草食动物的相互作用在演替的不同阶段和不同肥力的地点是如何变化的。研究将围绕三个活动组织。其中一项工作是在旧农田完成一项长期研究（6年），以确定长期抑制食草动物是如何改变的：1)不同植物物种的相对重要性；2)系统内植被的直立作物生物量。第二项活动将涉及确定6个草甸的黄花食草动物主要种群水平。草甸处于不同的演替阶段，草食动物可利用的食物资源也不同。第三项活动将包括对森林和草地毛虫适应综合征的比较。这将使鲁特博士和他的同事们能够确定在不同栖息地利用相似资源的物种在种群生物学上是否存在基本差异。这项研究将扩大我们对植物-草食动物相互作用的理解，并有助于我们开发生物上合理的草食动物控制方法。鲁特博士在科学成就方面有着卓越的记录。他以前获得的NSF资助已经发表了大量同行评议的科学论文，并支持了许多年轻生态学家的培训。康奈尔大学将为这项研究提供优秀的制度支持。生态系统研究项目建议授予该资助。

The relationship between herbivores and goldenrod (Solidago altissima) will be studied at several sites in the environs of Ithaca, New York, with the purpose of explaining how plant- herbivore interactions vary during different stages of succession and on sites of varying fertility. The research will be organized around three activities. One activity involves the completion of a long-term study (6 years) in old fields to determine how prolonged suppression of herbivores has altered: 1) the relative importance of different plant species; and 2) the standing crop biomass of the vegetation in the system. A second activity will involve the determination of the major population levels of goldenrod-herbivores in 6 meadows. The meadows are in different successional stages and so the food resources available to the herbivores differ. And the third activity will involve a comparison of adaptive syndromes of caterpillars in forests and meadows. This will permit Dr. Root and his colleagues to determine if there are basic differences in the population biology of species that utilize similar resources in different habitats. This research will expand our understanding of plant- herbivore interactions and should help us to develop biologically sound practices for herbivore control. Dr. Root has an excellent record of scientific achievement. Previous NSF grants to him have produced a large number of peer- reviewed scientific papers and have supported the training of numerous young ecologists. Cornell University will provide excellent institutional support for this research. The Ecosystem Studies Program recommends award of this grant.