Species Diversity and Abundance in Insular Systems

小行星9317502 这项研究继续调查顶级捕食者（蜥蜴）如何通过影响中层捕食者（其他昆虫和蜘蛛）和食草动物间接影响植物叶片受损量。 它还研究了这些动态的降雨变化的影响。 此外，还在收集与种群和物种特征以及捕食者的存在有关的种群灭绝数据。 这些研究将产生新的见解是什么控制了特定地区的物种数量，以及食物网如何动态地响应扰动。 这项研究是重要的，在提供新的见解如何顶级捕食者影响种群动态和物种的相互作用较低的食物网，以及如何在物理环境的变化直接和间接地影响食物网动态。 这项研究的信息可能有重要的应用，以了解生态系统对气候变化的反应，生物控制和其他害虫管理方法在农业和林业。 ***

9317502 Schoener This research continues investigations into how top predators (lizards) affect indirectly, via influences on middle predators (other insects and spiders) and herbivores, the amount of leaf damage on plants. It also examines the effects of variation in rainfall on these dynamics. Data are also being collected on the extinctions of populations in relation to population and species characteristics and presence of predators. These studies will yield new insights on what controls the number of species that occur in given areas and how food webs respond dynamically to perturbation. %%% This research is significant in providing new insights into how top predators influence the population dynamics and interactions of species lower down in the food web and how changes in the physical environment directly and indirectly affect the food-web dynamics. Information from this research could have important applications to understanding ecosystem response to climate change and to biological control and other pest management methods in agriculture and forestry. ***