Collaborative Research: Effects of Environmental Variation on Plant Disease in the Tallgrass Prairie

植物病害在自然生态系统中所起的作用我们知之甚少，但当前的一些环境问题促使人们对植物病害有了更深入的了解。 在考虑气候变化、新病原体物种入侵或抗病基因从转基因作物物种向野生植物种群转移的潜在影响时，了解植物疾病在自然生态系统中的作用是关键。 我们提出了一个研究植物疾病的高草草原提供相关的信息，这些问题以及病原体生态学的一般理论认识和病原体可能发挥的作用，在确定特定的植物物种的成功。 北美高草草原的植物特别令人感兴趣，因为这种生态系统的面积很少，恢复高草草原的尝试是大平原保护工作的重要重点。 在这项研究中，我们将提供有关病原体物种的丰度和它们的共同出现的模式上的一组代表性的高草草原植物物种发现在孔扎草原生物站（KPBS），NSF LTER网站在弗林特山高草草原地区在东北部堪萨斯。 我们还将估计预测的气候变化情景，小气候变化的景观模式和燃烧周期模式的影响，并致力于改进采样方法，以表征自然植物种群中的病原体种群。 这项研究将为KPBS的植物疾病提供一个基本的基线数据集，以补充关于植物物种组成和生产力的LTER数据库。

ABSTRACTKaren Ann Garett, Allison Power, Helen Alexander (DEB-0130692, 0128277,0128810) Little is known about the role of plant disease in natural ecosystems, but several current environmental concerns motivate a greater understanding. When considering the potential effects of climate change, invasions of new pathogen species, or movement of disease resistance genes from genetically modified crop species to wild plant populations, understanding the role of plant disease in natural ecosystems is key. We propose a study of plant disease in the tallgrass prairie to provide information relevant to these concerns as well as to a general theoretical understanding of pathogen ecology and the role pathogens may play in determining the success of particular plant species. Plants in the tallgrass prairie of North America are of particular interest because so little area remains of this ecosystem and attempts to restore tallgrass prairie are an important focus of conservation efforts in the Great Plains. In this study we will provide information about the abundance of pathogen species and the patterns of their co-occurrence on a set of representative tallgrass prairie plant species found at the Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS), an NSF LTER site in the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie region in northeastern Kansas. We will also estimate the effects of predicted climate change scenarios, landscape patterns of microclimate variation, and burning cycle patterns, and work to refine sampling methods for characterizing pathogen populations within natural plant populations. This study will supply an essential baseline data set for plant diseases at KPBS to complement the LTER database on plant species composition and productivity.