U.S.-New Zealand Cooperative Science Program: Periphyton Communities in Stream Ecosystems

9417225 Lowe这项奖励部分资助了Rex L.Lowe博士和俄亥俄州鲍林格林州立大学生物科学系的一名研究生与位于新西兰克赖斯特彻奇的国家水与大气研究所生态系统科学家Barry J.F.Biggs进行为期两年的合作研究的旅费。这项研究将集中于调节河流生态系统中附生植物群落结构的时空差异的机制。生态研究中使用的干扰是指在生态系统、群落或种群结构中造成破坏并改变资源、底物可获得性或物理环境的事件。社区抵抗干扰影响的能力被称为抵抗，社区恢复到某种预定状态的能力被称为韧性。这项研究将考察12条新西兰南岛溪流、6条西海岸(高干扰)和6条东海岸(低干扰)底栖藻类群落的阻力和弹性因素。这些基于实验室的实验将在密歇根大学生物站溪流研究设施进行，该设施提供了许多复制的人工溪流通道。实验室实验的目的是检查在新西兰天然溪流中似乎具有强烈调控影响的变量。新西兰的大多数溪流都受到完全保护(在新西兰国家公园和保护区系统内)，并提供独特的自然室外溪流环境，人们可以在这里调查具有相似或不同物理、化学和生物特征的溪流。对比格斯参观密歇根大学设施的支持是由新西兰研究、科学和技术部根据美国-新西兰合作科学计划提供的。

9417225 Lowe This award partially supports the travel expenses for Dr. Rex L. Lowe and a graduate student from the Department of Biological Sciences at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, to conduct cooperative research with Barry J. F. Biggs, Ecosystems Scientist with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, located in Christchurch, New Zealand, over a two year period. The research will focus on mechanisms that regulate spatial and temporal differences in the structure of periphyton communities in stream ecosystems. Disturbance, as used in ecological studies, denotes an event causing disruption in an ecosystem, community, or population structure and changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment. The ability of a community to resist the effects of a disturbance is referred to as resistance and the ability of a community to recover to some predetermined state is termed resilience. This study will examine resistance and resilience factors regulating benthic algae communities in twelve New Zealand South Island streams, six on the west coast (high disturbance) and six on the east coast (low disturbance). The laboratory-based experiments will be conducted at the University of Michigan Biological Station Stream Research Facility which provides numerous replicated artificial stream channels. The laboratory experiments are designed to examine variables which appear to have a strong regulatory influence in the natural New Zealand streams. Most of the New Zealand streams are fully protected (within the New Zealand National Parks and Reserves System), and provide a unique natural outdoor stream environment where one can investigate streams with similar or contrasting physical, chemical and biological traits. Support for the visit by Mr. Biggs to the University of Michigan facility is provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Research, Science and Technology under the U.S.- New Zealand Cooperative Science Progra m.