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

9417225 Lowe该奖项部分支持Rex L. Lowe博士和俄亥俄州鲍灵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的生态系统科学家Barry J. F. Biggs进行为期两年的合作研究的旅费。研究将集中于河流生态系统中植物群落结构时空差异的调节机制。在生态学研究中，扰动指的是导致生态系统、群落或种群结构破坏并改变资源、基质可用性或物理环境的事件。一个群落抵抗扰动影响的能力被称为抵抗力，而一个群落恢复到某种预定状态的能力被称为复原力。本研究将考察新西兰南岛12条河流中底栖藻类群落的抗性和恢复力因素，其中6条在西海岸（高干扰），6条在东海岸（低干扰）。以实验室为基础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。实验室实验旨在检查在新西兰自然溪流中似乎具有强大调节影响的变量。新西兰的大多数溪流都受到了充分的保护（在新西兰国家公园和保护区系统内），并提供了一个独特的自然户外溪流环境，人们可以在这里研究具有相似或不同物理、化学和生物特征的溪流。新西兰研究、科学和技术部根据美国-新西兰合作科学计划为比格斯先生访问密歇根大学提供了支持。

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.