Dissertation Research: Host-Parasitoid Interactions and Habitat Subdivision: The Distribution and Population Dynamics of a Geometric Moth on Dryas

本研究探讨了生境破碎化和寄主-寄生相互作用对自然斑驳生境中几何蛾分布和种群动态的影响。它研究了栖息地结构、当地种群的同步性、种群之间的分散以及寄主-寄生蜂相互作用的影响。这项工作结合了实地实验和观察，并在空间明确的景观上建立了离散时间模拟模型，以检查和整合栖息地细分和宿主-寄生性相互作用的影响。了解占据细分栖息地的物种的种群动态和分布对种群生物学和保护生物学领域都至关重要。定居、灭绝和扩散的动态与捕食者-猎物动态相互作用，决定了生活在斑驳分布栖息地的物种的种群过程。在栖息地破碎化和捕食者-猎物相互作用领域都有理论研究。然而，在这些理论体系的背后，很少有实证工作，很少有理论工作，几乎没有实证工作试图整合这两个领域。元种群动态越来越多地用于理论和保护背景下的种群结构模型，但很少有例子显示时间元种群结构。这项研究提供了建立一个元种群的例子的潜力。* * *

9311208 Geber This study examines the roles of habitat fragmentation and host-parasitiod interactions in influencing the distribution and population dynamics of a geometrid moth living in a naturally patchy habitat. It examine the habitat structure, synchrony of local populations, dispersal between populations, and impact of host-parastoid interactions. The work combines field experiments and observations with the development of a discrete time simulation model on a spatially explicit landscape to examine and intergrate the influences of habitat subdivision and host-parasitoid interactions. Understanding the population dynamics and distribution of species occupying subdivided habitats is critical to both the fields of population biology and conservation biology. The dynamics of colonization, extinction and dispersal interacts with predator-prey dynamics to determine population processes for species living in patchily distributed habitats. Theoretical work exists in both the areas of habitat fragmentation and predator-prey interactions. yet, little empirical work stands behind these bodies of theory, and very little theoretical and almost no empirical work has attempted to intergrate the two fields. %%% Metapopulation dynamic's are being increasingly used for models if population structure in both theoretical & conservation contexts, yet there are few examples showing time metapopulation structure. This study offers the potential of establishing an example of a metapopulation. ***