U.S.-Brazil: Dissertation Improvement Grant on Mechanisms of Seed and Seedling Mortality Controlling the Distribution of Two Tropical Trees

豪9314379 这个美国-巴西合作科学计划奖支持现场费用和购买计算机进行统计分析，由M。帕切科是一名巴西研究生，正在写博士论文。 这项研究正在森林碎片生物动力学（BDFF）项目的保护区内进行，该项目是美国史密森学会和巴西国家亚马逊研究所（INPA）之间的一个协会。 为了完成他的工作，帕切科先生将在亚马逊森林度过400天。 这笔赠款还用于支付H.豪先生，帕切科先生的顾问，谁将访问他一次，建议他，并监督他的研究。 帕切科先生将进行研究，以评估几类因素对亚马逊森林中两种热带棕榈树的分布和丰富程度的影响。 其中一个物种优先生长在洪泛平原，而另一个物种的优先栖息地是高原。 通过研究这些密切相关的物种，研究将试图区分非生物（水，光等）的影响。和生物（捕食、感染等）两个物种的空间分布。 了解这些影响将有助于预测热带树种对区域或全球气候变化以及人类相关活动的反应。 它还将有助于了解保护和恢复工作所需的热带生物种类。 ***

Howe 9314379 This U.S.-Brazil Cooperative Science Program award supports field expenses and purchase of a computer for statistical analysis, to be performed on site by M. Pacheco, a Brazilian graduate student working on his doctoral dissertation. The study is being developed in the reserves of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments (BDFF) project, an association between the Smithsonian Institution of the U.S.A. and the Brazilian National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA). In order to complete his work, Mr. Pacheco will spend 400 days in the Amazon forest. The grant also provides for travel expenses to Brazil for H. Howe, Mr. Pacheco's adviser, who will visit him once, to advise him and to supervise his research. Mr. Pacheco will perform research to evaluate the influence of several classes of factors on the distribution and abundance of two tropical palm tree species in the Amazon forest. One of the species grows preferentially on flood plains, while the other one's preferential habitat are plateaus. By studying these closely related species, the research will attempt to distinguish between the effects of abiotic (water, light, etc.) and biotic (predation, infections, etc.) factors on the spatial distribution of the two species. Understanding of these effects will help in predicting the response of tropical tree species to changes in the regional or global climate, and to human related activities. It will also contribute to the understanding of the kind of tropical biology required in conservation and restoration efforts. ***