Doctoral Dissertation Research: Quaternary Land Bridges in the Hawaiian Islands and Their Biotic Implications

夏威夷群岛为生物地理研究提供了一个杰出的天然实验室。其极端的与世隔绝、可追溯的景观历史和独特的生物群为科学调查塑造其生物圈的基本过程提供了一个框架，从而为深入了解在许多其他地点发生的生物地理过程提供了洞察。夏威夷群岛特别适合于分析物理、生物和人类系统之间复杂的相互作用，因为从史前时代到现在，这三套系统都经历了相当大的变化。尽管目前生物地理关系的许多方面已经得到了广泛的研究，但人们对不断变化的地质和气候条件如何影响岛屿自然景观演变的关注要少得多。这项博士论文研究项目将确定毛伊努伊杂岩第四纪期间的地质和气候变化如何影响它们的生物群。将开发一个基于地理信息系统的模型，以追踪Maiu Nui建筑群的时间、持续时间和一般特征，追溯到毛伊岛、莫洛卡岛、拉纳岛和卡霍奥拉韦四个岛屿合并为一个大岛的时间。将通过增加气候数据、汇编有关植物区系的详细生物地理数据以及综合现有的迈乌努伊动物区系生物地理研究来加强这一模式，以便于与其他岛屿的分布模式进行比较。将特别注意现有岛屿之间以前的陆桥可能对特有性、生物多样性和物种组合的生物相似性产生的影响。该项目将为了解夏威夷群岛这一独特部分的复杂自然历史提供新的见解。因此，它将加强关于不断变化的物理和生物系统相互作用的生物地理学理论，并将促进旨在保护具有众多稀有和濒危分类群的复杂生物系统的努力。作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生建立一个强大的独立研究生涯。

The Hawaiian archipelago provides an outstanding natural laboratory for biogeographic research. Its extreme isolation, traceable landscape history, and unique biota provide a framework for scientific inquiry into the fundamental processes that have shaped its biosphere, thereby providing insights into biogeographic processes that have occurred in numerous other locales. The Hawaiian islands are particularly well suited to analyses of the complex interplay among physical, biological, and human systems, because all three sets of systems have undergone considerable change from prehistoric time to the present. Although many facets of current biogeographic relationships have been studied extensively, far less attention has been given to the ways that changing geologic and climatic conditions have influenced the evolution of natural landscapes on the islands. This doctoral dissertation research project will determine how geologic and climate changes during the Quaternary period in the Maui Nui complex have influenced their biota. A GIS-based model will be developed to trace the timing, duration, and general character of the Maiu Nui complex dating back to the time that the four islands of Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i, and Kaho'olawe were united as one big island. This model will be enhanced with the addition of paeloclimatic data, the compilation of detailed biogeographic data regarding flora, and the synthesis of existing biogeographic studies of the fauna of Maiu Nui to facilitate comparison with distributional patterns on other islands. Particular attention will be given to the influence that previous land bridges among the present islands may have had on endemism, biodiversity, and the biotic similarity of species assemblages. This project will provide new insights into the complex natural history of this unique part of the Hawaiian islands. As such, it will enhance biogeographic theory regarding the interplay of changing physical and biological systems, and it will facilitate conservation efforts aimed at preserving complex biological systems with numerous rare and endangered taxa. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.