Dissertation Research: Patterns, Mechanisms and Consequences of Oviposition Behavior for Recruitment of the Mayfly, Baetis Bicaudatus

补充决定了种群的初始密度，从而可能对它们的丰度产生关键性的影响。关于水生昆虫的补充及其对幼虫丰度的影响知之甚少。我们结合联合收割机调查、自然溪流中的机械和大规模实验，以确定新个体进入双尾贝氏蜉蝣种群的模式和机制，以及小规模和大规模的补充变化如何相互作用影响幼虫的丰度。方法包括观察产卵模式，并通过野外实验来了解产卵行为的机制和适合度后果。广泛的调查与招聘模式的时间和空间变化蜉蝣幼虫丰度。通过对12条天然溪流中的产卵点进行大规模的野外实验，将检验贝氏小蠹幼虫种群是否具有补充限制性，这一提议将对理解水生昆虫种群的补充及其对随后昆虫繁殖的影响做出重要而独特的贡献。拟议的研究还将产生预测机制（即产卵行为）如何影响当地和区域尺度的种群模式的模型。此外，它将为理解水生昆虫的种群动态提供基础，这对设计现实和相关的保护计划至关重要。

Recruitment determines the initial density of populations, and may thereby criticallyinfluence their abundance. Little is known about recruitment of aquatic insects and itsinfluence on the abundance of larvae. We combine surveys, mechanistic and large-scaleexperiments in natural streams to determine the patterns and mechanisms of recruitmentof new individuals to populations of the mayfly Baetis bicaudatus, and how small andlarge scale variation in recruitment interact to influence abundance of larvae.Methods include observations of patterns of oviposition, and field experiments tounderstand the mechanisms and fitness consequences of oviposition behavior. Extensivesurveys relate patterns of recruitment to temporal and spatial variation in mayfly larvalabundance. A large-scale field experiment manipulating the availability of ovipositionsites in 12 natural streams will test whether populations of Baetis larvae are recruitmentlimited.This proposal will make significant and unique contributions to the understanding ofrecruitment of aquatic insect populations, and its influence on subsequent insectabundance. Proposed research will also generate models for predicting how mechanisms(i.e. oviposition behavior) affect patterns of populations at local and regional scales.Furthermore, it will provide a foundation for understanding population dynamics ofaquatic insects important to designing realistic and relevant conservation programs.