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

Howe 9314379这一美国-巴西合作科学计划奖资助现场费用和购买一台用于统计分析的计算机，由正在撰写博士论文的巴西研究生M.Pacheco现场执行。这项研究是在森林碎片生物动力学保护区(BDFF)项目中进行的，该项目是美国史密森研究所和巴西国家亚马逊研究所(INPA)之间的一个联合项目。为了完成他的工作，帕切科先生将在亚马逊森林里度过400天。这笔赠款还用于帕切科先生的顾问H·豪前往巴西的旅费，他将拜访他一次，为他提供建议并监督他的研究。帕切科先生将进行研究，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度的影响。其中一个物种优先生长在泛滥平原上，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，这项研究将试图区分非生物(水、光等)的影响。和生物性(捕食、感染等)影响这两个物种空间分布的因素。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。它还将有助于理解保护和恢复工作所需的那种热带生物学。***

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. ***