Transient Dynamics of Ecosystems

生态系统的瞬态动力学

• 批准号: 9973518
• 负责人: Michael Neubert
• 金额: $ 33.6万
• 依托单位: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 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: 1999-10-01 至 2004-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9973518&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Transient; Dynamics; Ecosystems

Abstract99-73518Neubert/CaswellTransient dynamics of ecosystemsEcological systems are subject to a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic perturbations. For example, consider a lake. On a short time scale, a rainstorm may temporarily increase the amount of nutrients in the lake, producing a brief algal bloom. On a longer time scale, acid rain might produce a permanent shift in the lake's fauna, including the possibility of species extinctions. The reaction of an ecosystem to a perturbation can have important human health or economic consequences. Ecologists and mathematicians have developed a theory to help them predict how ecosystems will respond to perturbations. While this theory has been useful, it has two principle shortcomings. First, its predictions are only expected to be correct a long time after the perturbation occurs. Second, it assumes that before the perturbation the ecosystem was in equilibrium, i.e., it assumes that none of the ecosystem's components are changing over time. The investigators on this project will develop a theory that corrects these two problems. This theory will focus on the short-term responses of ecosystems to perturbations and will incorporate non-equilibrium systems. The results of this study will be useful to ecosystem scientists working on a wide range of problems from conservation of biodiversity to global climate change, and in both terrestrial and aquatic systems.

生态系统的瞬态动力学生态系统受到各种自然和人为扰动的影响。 例如，考虑一个湖。 在短时间内，暴雨可能会暂时增加湖中的营养物质，产生短暂的藻类水华。 从更长的时间范围来看，酸雨可能会导致湖泊动物群发生永久性变化，包括物种灭绝的可能性。生态系统对扰动的反应可能对人类健康或经济产生重要影响。 生态学家和数学家已经开发出一种理论来帮助他们预测生态系统将如何应对扰动。 虽然这一理论是有用的，但它有两个主要缺点。 首先，它的预测只有在扰动发生后很长一段时间内才能正确。 其次，它假设在扰动之前生态系统处于平衡状态，即，它假设生态系统的组成部分都不会随着时间的推移而改变。 该项目的研究人员将开发一种理论来纠正这两个问题。 这一理论将侧重于生态系统对扰动的短期反应，并将纳入非平衡系统。 这项研究的结果将是有用的生态系统科学家的工作范围广泛的问题，从生物多样性的保护，全球气候变化，并在陆地和水生系统。