SGER - Impact of a Natural Catastrophe on Animal Populations

SGER - 自然灾害对动物种群的影响

• 批准号: 0086352
• 负责人: George Uetz
• 金额: $ 2.43万
• 依托单位: University of Cincinnati Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-08-15 至 2002-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0086352&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SGER; Impact; Natural; Catastrophe; Animal

0086352UetzIn April 1999, a class 5 tornado struck north of Cincinnati, Ohio. This storm destroyed approximately one half of the 65 acre Benedict/Hazelwood Botanical Preserve. This event provides an opportunity for a number of studies on ecosystem recovery following a catastrophic natural disturbance. The blow-down area has been managed minimally and most of the area has been left relatively undisturbed for studies of forest recovery. This SGER study is directed at the first post-disturbance generation of several animal species (invertebrates and vertebrates; primary and secondary consumers) that have been subjected to environmental stress fro a major ecosystem catastrophe during their development. This study concerns the question of whether environmental stress from habitat destruction will have an impact on developmental instability. The investigators will use a frequently-cited indicator of environmental stress - measures of fluctuating asymmetry, or FA (small, random deviations from perfect left-right symmetry in bilaterally symmetrical animals) - as a means of determining impact of disturbance on animal populations. Recent studies with forest-dwelling animal populations have demonstrated that FA is increased in populatoins undergoing interruptions in food, or in areas where vegetation is removed by logging. This is the first study of FA associated with environmental stress from a major natural catastrophe. This SGER research represents a unique opportunity to increase our knowledge about the response of animal populations to a rare but severe natural disturbance.

1999年4月，一场5级龙卷风袭击了俄亥俄州辛辛那提北部。这场风暴摧毁了65英亩的本尼迪克特/黑兹伍德植物园的大约一半。这一事件为研究灾难性的自然干扰后的生态系统恢复提供了机会。被吹毁的地区得到了最低限度的管理，该地区的大部分地区相对没有受到干扰，以进行森林恢复研究。这项SGER研究针对的是几个动物物种(无脊椎动物和脊椎动物；初级和次级消费者)在干扰后的第一代，这些物种在发育过程中因重大生态系统灾难而受到环境压力。这项研究涉及栖息地破坏造成的环境压力是否会对发展的不稳定性产生影响的问题。研究人员将使用一个经常被引用的环境压力指标-波动不对称性的测量，或FA(两侧对称动物与完美左右对称的小的随机偏差)-作为确定干扰对动物种群影响的一种手段。最近对森林动物种群的研究表明，在食物中断的种群中，或在植被因砍伐而被移除的地区，FA会增加。这是第一次对与重大自然灾害的环境压力相关的FA进行研究。SGER的这项研究是一个独特的机会，可以增加我们对动物种群对罕见但严重的自然干扰的反应的了解。