Collaborative Research: Ecological Engineering by Fishes: The Importance of Biodiversity to Resource Heterogeneity and the Structure of Neotropical Streams

9615349弗莱克这项研究的主要前提是，捕食沉积物的鱼类和两栖动物是热带河流中重要的生态工程师，可以在各种空间和时间尺度上产生显著的资源异质性。具体地说，这项研究将研究不同的底栖摄食性鱼类是否在生态上是多余的，以及物种身份是否对溪流群落和生态系统动态(包括资源异质性的产生)重要。这项研究的主要目的集中在生物多样性、物种特性和密度对资源异质性、群落和生态系统动力学的重要性。将使用一系列实验和观察性测试来解决这一主要目标。这项研究将深入了解生物多样性对河流群落结构和功能的重要性。这项拟议的研究将进一步加深我们对底泥捕食性鱼类和食性鱼类的群落和生态系统作用的了解，并证明这些生物作为生态工程师的能力是否存在显著差异。沉积物和以藻类为食的鱼类是整个南美洲淡水渔业的最重要组成部分，但人们对它们的生态知之甚少。总体而言，这个项目将拓宽我们对热带溪流群落模式和过程的有限知识。

9615349 Flecker The major premise of this research is that sediment-feeding and algivorous fishes and amphibians are important ecological engineers in tropical streams, and can generate significant resource heterogeneity over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Specifically, this research will examine whether the diverse guild of epibenthic-feeding fishes is ecologically redundant, and whether species identities are important to stream community and ecosystem dynamics including the generation of resource heterogeneity. The main objective of this research focuses on the importance of biodiversity, species identities, and density to resource heterogeneity, community and ecosystem dynamics. A series of experimental and observational tests will be used to address this main objective. This study will provide insight into the importance of biodiversity to the structure and function of stream communities. The proposed research will further our knowledge of community and ecosystem roles of sediment feeding and algivorous fishes, and demonstrate whether these organisms vary significantly in their capacities as ecological engineers. Sediment and algal-feeding fish are among the most important components of the freshwater fisheries throughout South America, yet their ecology is very poorly known. Overall, this project will broaden our limited knowledge of patterns and processes in tropical stream communities.