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

博士论文研究：夏威夷群岛第四纪陆桥及其生物意义

• 批准号: 9900933
• 负责人: Deborah Elliott-Fisk
• 金额: $ 0.91万
• 依托单位: University of California-Davis
• 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: 1999-05-01 至 2001-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9900933&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Quaternary; Land

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.

夏威夷群岛为生物地理学研究提供了出色的天然实验室。 它的极端隔离，可追溯的景观历史和独特的生物群为科学探究形成生物圈的基本过程提供了一个框架，从而为许多其他地区发生的地理过程提供了见解。 夏威夷群岛特别适合分析物理、生物和人类系统之间复杂的相互作用，因为从史前到现在，这三套系统都经历了相当大的变化。 虽然对当前地理关系的许多方面进行了广泛的研究，但对不断变化的地质和气候条件影响岛屿自然景观演变的方式的关注要少得多。 这个博士论文研究项目将确定地质和气候变化如何在茂伊努伊复杂的第四纪影响他们的生物群。 将开发一个基于GIS的模型，以追踪Maiu Nui复合体的时间、持续时间和一般特征，该复合体可以追溯到毛伊岛、莫洛凯岛、拉纳伊岛和卡霍奥拉韦岛四个岛屿合并为一个大岛的时候。 这一模式将得到加强，增加古气候数据，汇编有关植物群的详细地理数据，并综合现有的Maiu Nui动物群地理研究，以便于与其他岛屿的分布模式进行比较。 将特别注意以前的陆桥之间的影响，目前的岛屿可能对特有性，生物多样性和物种组合的生物相似性。 该项目将为夏威夷群岛这一独特地区复杂的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地理学理论，并将促进旨在保护具有许多稀有和濒危分类群的复杂生物系统的保护工作。 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的研究生涯。