US-South Africa Cooperative Research: Life History Evolution of Birds in South Temperate Africa

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

9906030MartinThis award supports a cooperative research project between Thomas E. Martin, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, and Morne A. du Plessis, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. The three-year cooperative project centers on the life history evolution of birds in south temperate Africa. It involves a graduate student from the University of Montana, Paul Martin, and several graduate students from UCT in the research and field studies. The South African PI will also spend some time at the University of Montana. The Percy FitzPatrick Institute has a long and distinguished history of ornithological research and is considered the top ornithological research institute in all of Africa. The US investigator brings data and strong familiarity with life history traits of north temperate birds and an alternative south temperate (Argentina) system, as well as familiarity with statistical approaches to conducting broad comparative analyses of life history. The South African investigator brings strong familiarity with life history traits and ecology of birds in southern Africa, allowing important insight into the appropriate tests and classification of bird ecology for tests. This project includes five main objectives: 1) conduct broad comparative analyses of life history traits of South Africa birds compared with north temperate (North America and Europe) to clarify patterns of differences, while controlling for phylogeny and ecology, 2) examine among-continent differences in life history traits relative to differences in nest predation rates and food habits, 3) conduct broad comparative analyses of life history traits of birds within South Africa relative to variation in nest predation and predictability of climate and food, 4) examine clutch size of a ubiquitous species (Cape Sparrow) across a gradient of climatic and resource predictability, and 5) compare species within a single genus (Turdus) among South Africa, South America, and North America with respect to nest predation, parental activity, and feeding rates to test among the four hypotheses. The joint research project can provide significant new insight into life history evolution of south temperate birds and also change general base avian life history theory. Life history traits are the basis of population dynamics in ecological time such that an understanding of factors causing variation in life history traits can lead to greater understanding of possible conservation issues for sustaining bird population.