International Research Fellowship Program: Subcatastrophic Floods: Effects on Lotic Ecosystem Structure and Function

0107360Francoeur国际研究员奖励计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行三到二十四个月的研究。 该计划的奖项提供了联合研究的机会，以及使用国外独特或互补的设施，专业知识和实验条件。Francoeur与巴里J. F.比格斯在新西兰基督城的国家水和大气研究所工作。PI将进行耦合的低强度洪水事件对河流附着生物和无脊椎动物的影响的实地和实验室调查。 这项工作的总体目标是：1）发现模式的生物群落的天然河流相关的低强度洪水事件，通过使用时间序列采样和相关分析，和2）测试的因果关系的作用，低强度洪水在产生这些模式进行操纵实验，在大型室外人工流。 他预计，低强度洪水事件可能会导致与高强度洪水完全不同的生物反应，甚至可能导致生物量或生产力增加。 在新西兰与比格斯博士一起工作提供了一个理想的环境，因为在一个小的地理区域内有大量不同洪水状况的溪流，他们已经有了一个用于实验工作的人工溪流设施，此外，比格斯博士领导着一个高产的研究团队，专门研究洪水事件在溪流生态系统中的作用。

0107360FrancoeurThe International Research Fellow Awards Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will provide 12 months of support to Dr. Steven N. Francoeur to work with Dr. Barry J. F. Biggs at the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research in Christchurch, New Zealand. The PI will conduct coupled field and laboratory investigations of the effects of low-intensity flood events on stream periphyton and invertebrates. The overall objectives of this work are to 1) discover patterns in the biotic communities of natural streams related to low-intensity flood events by using time-series sampling and correlative analyses, and 2) test the causal role of low-intensity floods in generating these patterns by conducting manipulative experiments in large, outdoor artificial streams. He expects that low-intensity flood events may cause quite different biological responses than high-intensity floods, perhaps even resulting in increased biomass or productivity. Working in New Zealand with Dr. Biggs provides an ideal setting because of the great number of streams with differing flood regimes in a small geographical area, and they already have an artificial stream facility for experimental work, plus, Dr. Biggs leads a highly productive research team specializing in investigation of the role of flood events in stream ecosystems.