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

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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.