Dissertation Research: Mechanisms of Species Coexistence with the Fire Ant in Western Brazil

论文研究：巴西西部与火蚁的物种共存机制

• 批准号: 9801175
• 负责人: Donald Feener
• 金额: $ 0.85万
• 依托单位: University of Utah
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1998
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1998-06-01 至 2000-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9801175&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Mechanisms; Species; Coexistence

9801175 Fenner and Wackford This research focuses on the imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) that has become an invasive pest throughout the southeastern United States. Where it has invaded, the fire ant reduces diversity of other arthropods, and in particular it eliminates most other ant species. While a strong competitor within its native range in Brazil, the fire ant does not achieve the same level of total dominance there and in fact coexists with a diverse community of native ants. This research will examine mechanisms of competition and population regulation within an ant community in the native range of the fire ant, in Brazil. Three mechanisms that could allow coexistence between the fire ant and other ants will be tested: 1) tradeoffs between dispersal ability and competitive ability, 2) mediation of competitive ability by species-specific parasitoids, and 3) seasonal spatial structure that leads to self-limitation. This research will be one of the first to study the community interactions of an invasive ant species within its native range. Results of this work will be of immediate practical value in designing biological control programs directed at the fire ant in the southeastern U.S.

[801175] Fenner and Wackford这项研究的重点是进口火蚁（Solenopsis invicta），它已经成为美国东南部的一种入侵害虫。在它入侵的地方，火蚁减少了其他节肢动物的多样性，特别是它消灭了大多数其他蚂蚁物种。虽然火蚁在巴西的本土范围内是一个强大的竞争对手，但它在那里并没有达到同样的统治地位，实际上它与一个多样化的本土蚂蚁群落共存。本研究将研究巴西火蚁原生范围内蚂蚁群落的竞争和种群调节机制。本文将探讨火蚁与其他蚂蚁共存的三种机制：1)分散能力与竞争能力之间的权衡；2)物种特异性寄生蜂对竞争能力的调节；3)导致自我限制的季节性空间结构。这项研究将是首次研究入侵蚂蚁物种在其本土范围内的群落相互作用。这项工作的结果将对设计针对美国东南部火蚁的生物控制方案具有直接的实用价值