Seed Predation and Plant Competition: Interactive Constraints on the Population Dynamics of a Threatened Fugitive Thistle

生物相互作用在决定稀有植物的丰度、分布和持久性及其对环境胁迫的脆弱性方面的作用尚不清楚。本研究将分析竞争和种子捕食对联邦濒危物种卷叶菊种群动态的影响。拟议的研究将利用实地实验来减少生物因素的影响和沿着气候梯度在密歇根湖周围的沙丘系统的相互作用。本研究的结果将为濒危物种的植物种群动态提供关键的基线信息。此外，这项工作的结果将有助于制定有用的保护和管理珍稀和濒危植物物种的协议。

The role of biological interactions in determining the abundance, distribution and persistence of rare plants, and their vulnerability to environmental stress, is poorly known. This study will analyze the consequences of competition and seed predation on the population dynamics of a federally-listed threatened species, Cirsium pitcheri.The proposed research will use field experiments to reduce the impact of biological factors and interactions along a climatic gradient in the dune systems around Lake Michigan. The results of this study will provide critical baseline information on plant population dynamics of a threatened species. In addition, results from this work will contribute to developing useful conservation and management protocols for rare and endangered plant species.