Dissertation Enhancement in Japan: Pollinator Loss in an Isolated Population of Primula Seiboldii: Analysis and Intervention

9415227汤姆森论文增强奖支持纽约州立大学斯坦布鲁克分校研究生尼尔·威廉姆斯在三年时间里在日本进行三次研究访问，他在生态与进化系詹姆斯·汤姆森教授的指导下工作。这是筑波大学生物科学研究所出泉和谷教授的合作项目。保护珍稀植物的尝试往往涉及建立小型自然保护区，周围环绕着危险的栖息地。原则上，这种植物可能会因为传粉者的减少而面临生殖失败的风险。然而，几乎没有彻底的研究，植物的管理计划很少考虑传粉者的管理。这个项目是日本植物学家和美国蜜蜂生态学家合作的，目的是研究野生本土报春花的这种情况。这种植物在东京北部的一个城市保护区里经历了结实失败，各种证据表明，这是因为当地的大黄蜂已经从该地区消失了。该项目预计将解决一个特定的问题，并引起自然资源保护者对这些问题及其可解性的关注。希望该项目成为土蜂回收的示范性项目。利用这一特殊机会对于改善世界各地的保护计划和强调自然界物种之间的相互依存非常重要。***

9415227 Thomson This dissertation enhancement award supports three research visits in Japan over a three- year period for Neal Williams, a graduate student at the State University of New York at Stonybrook, who works under the direction of Professor James Thomson, Department of Ecology and Evolution. This is a collaborative project with Professor Izumi Washitani, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba. Attempts to conserve rare plants often involve the establishment of small natural reserves surrounded by inimical habitat. In principle, such plants may risk reproductive failure due to the decline of pollinators. However, there have been few if any thorough studies, and management plans for plants seldom consider pollinator management. This project is a collaboration between a Japanese botanist and American bee ecologists to investigate such a situation in a wild native primrose, Primula seiboldii. This plant experiences seed-set failure in an urban reserve north of Tokyo, and a variety of evidence suggests that this is because native bumble bees have disappeared from the area. The project is expected to solve a particular problem and also to draw the attention of conservationists to such problems and their solubility. It is hoped that this project will be come a demonstration project for native bee recovery. Exploiting this special opportunity is important to improving conservation plans worldwide and for emphasizing the interdependence of species in nature. ***