US-South Africa Dissertation Enhancement: Argentine Ants in the South African Fynbos: Effects on Proteas and Their Arthropod Visitors

美国-南非论文增强：南非凡波斯群岛中的阿根廷蚂蚁：对普罗蒂亚及其节肢动物访客的影响

• 批准号: 0114923
• 负责人: Richard Root
• 金额: $ 2.74万
• 依托单位: Cornell Univ - State: AWDS MADE PRIOR MAY 2010
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-09-01 至 2004-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0114923&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: US; South; Africa; Dissertation; Enhancement

0114923Root This dissertation enhancement grant supports a US graduate student, Ms. Lori Lach, working under the guidance of Professor Richard Root, with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, to conduct a study in South Africa on Argentine ants in the South African fynbos, and their effects on proteas and their arthropod visitors.Invasive species are a threat not only to agricultural and economic systems, but also to the conservation of native flora and fauna. Argentine ants in particular are a worldwide problem. In the protea-rich South African fynbos native ants and the seeds they disperse are being endangered by the invasive Argentine ant. Ms. Lach will experimentally test the hypotheses that: 1) an invasive species, the Argentine ant, has detrimental effects on pollination in the biologically fragile area of the South African fynbos; 2) that a facultative mutualism may facilitate impacts of this invader; and 3) that the invader may be exerting these effects because it is able to escape floral defenses used on the native ant species. Dr. Michael Picker, of the Zoology Department at the University of Cape Town, will provide guidance on this project to Ms. Lach. The results are expected to increase the current knowledge about Argentine ants and their impact on fynbos flowers and their arthropod visitors, and provide additional information on the effects of invasive species on ant/plant interactions. The findings should also have broad application to conservation biology and invasion ecology.This project is being jointly funded by the Division of International Programs and the Division of Environmental Biology.

0114923Root 此项论文强化资助支持美国研究生 Lori Lach 女士在康奈尔大学生态与进化生物学系 Richard Root 教授的指导下，在南非开展一项关于南非凡波斯的阿根廷蚁及其对普罗蒂亚及其节肢动物访客的影响的研究。入侵物种不仅对农业和经济构成威胁 系统，同时也保护本土动植物群。 阿根廷蚂蚁尤其是一个世界性问题。 在富含普罗蒂亚的南非凡波斯本土蚂蚁及其传播的种子正受到入侵的阿根廷蚂蚁的威胁。 拉赫女士将通过实验检验以下假设：1）一种入侵物种，即阿根廷蚂蚁，对南非凡波斯生物脆弱地区的授粉产生有害影响； 2）兼性共生可能会促进该入侵者的影响； 3）入侵者可能会发挥这些作用，因为它能够逃脱本地蚂蚁物种使用的花防御。 开普敦大学动物学系的 Michael Picker 博士将为 Lach 女士提供该项目的指导。 研究结果预计将增加目前对阿根廷蚂蚁及其对凡波斯花及其节肢动物访客的影响的了解，并提供有关入侵物种对蚂蚁/植物相互作用的影响的更多信息。 这些发现也应该广泛应用于保护生物学和入侵生态学。该项目由国际项目部和环境生物学部共同资助。