The Role of Keystone Herbivores in Regulating Ecosystem Function: An Experimental Approach Using Long-Term Herbivore Removals

关键食草动物在调节生态系统功能中的作用：利用长期食草动物清除的实验方法

• 批准号: 9816001
• 负责人: George Koch
• 金额: $ 30.5万
• 依托单位: Northern Arizona University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-07-15 至 2003-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9816001&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Role; Keystone; Herbivores; Regulating; Ecosystem

ABSTRACT9816001KochThe Role of Keystone Herbivores in Regulating Ecosystem Function: An Experimental Approach Using Long-Term Herbivore RemovalsThis study examines how two major insect herbivores impact pinyon pine-juniper woodlands. The pinyon needle scale insect defoliates juvenile pines while the stem-boring moth kills shoots of mature trees. The impact of these herbivores is regionally extensive and appears to be positively correlated with environmental stress. Taking advantage of two long-term moth and scale removal experiments (15 and 13 years, respectively) we propose to examine the ecosystem effects of herbivory in experimental plots with three classes of trees, 1) susceptible trees infested with moth or scale insects, 2) susceptible trees from which these herbivores have been removed annually for at lease 13 years and 3) trees that are naturally resistant to moth or scales. By comparing tree/soil systems with and without chronic herbivory, we can better understand how herbivores affect productivity and nutrient cycling in pinyon-juniper woodlands, a major vegetation type of the southwestern United States.

Koch关键食草动物在调节生态系统功能中的作用：一种利用长期食草动物清除的实验方法本研究探讨了两种主要的食草昆虫如何影响松树-刺柏林地。 松树针叶蚧使幼年松树落叶，而钻茎蛾杀死成熟树木的嫩枝。 这些食草动物的影响是区域性的，似乎与环境压力呈正相关。 利用两次长期除蛾除垢实验（分别为15年和13年），我们建议在三类树木的试验小区中研究草食动物的生态系统效应：1）受蛾或蚧虫侵扰的易感树木，2）这些食草动物每年被清除至少13年的易受影响的树木，以及3）天然抗蛾或鳞片的树木。 通过比较树/土壤系统与慢性草食动物，我们可以更好地了解草食动物如何影响生产力和养分循环的松树，杜松林地，美国西南部的主要植被类型。