LTREB: A Long-term Study of an Amphibian Assemblage at the Landscape Scale

9727014维尔纳大多数生态学研究都是在小的空间尺度上进行的，时间很短，而且越来越明显的是，随着我们的规模扩大，我们对影响生态群落的过程几乎一无所知。“这个项目是试图提供一个了解这种现象使用两栖动物作为一个模型系统。这项研究将继续对密歇根大学东南部37个池塘中14种两栖动物的分布进行长期的数据系列研究。乔治储备。该数据系列在所涉及的时间跨度、池塘数量和待采样的物种数量方面是独一无二的。具体而言，本研究将：（1）在未来五年继续收集37个池塘的有/无数据;（2）收集这些池塘内所有两栖动物物种及其捕食者的种群密度的定量数据;以及（3）量化调查池塘的生境特征。这些数据将仔细存档，并在万维网上提供。这些数据将使调查人员能够在景观尺度上解决问题，并可用于长期的环境变化评估。鉴于两栖动物可能在全球范围内减少，以及据报道北美东部和中西部无尾两栖动物种群普遍出现畸形，这一点尤为重要。

9727014 Werner Most ecological studies are conducted on small spatial scales for short periods of time, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that we have little appreciation of the processes that influence ecological communities as we "scale-up." This project is an attempt to provide an understanding of such phenomena using amphibians as a model system. The research will continue a long-term data series on the distribution of 14 species of amphibians across 37 ponds on the University of Michigan's E.S. George Reserve. The data series is unique in the time span involved, the number of ponds, and the number of species to be sampled. Specifically, this study will: 1) continue collection of the presence/absence data on 37 ponds for the next 5 years, 2) collect quantitative data on population densities of all amphibian species and their predators in these ponds, and 3) quantify habitat characteristics of the ponds surveyed. The data will be carefully archived and made available over the world wide web. These data will enable the investigators to address questions at the landscape scale and will be available for long-term assessments of environmental change. This is particularly important in light of the possible global decline of amphibians and the widespread teratologies reported in eastern and mid-western North American anuran populations.