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

招募决定了种群的初始密度，因此可能严重影响种群的丰度。关于水生昆虫的招募及其对幼虫丰度的影响，人们知之甚少。我们结合自然溪流中的调查、机械和大规模实验，确定了新个体对二尾巴蒂斯蜂种群的招募模式和机制，以及招募中的小范围和大范围差异如何影响幼虫丰度。方法包括产卵模式的观察和田间实验，以了解产卵行为的机制和适合性后果。扩展调查将招募模式与蚂蚁幼虫丰度的时间和空间变化联系起来。通过在12条天然溪流中控制产卵地点有效性的大规模田间试验，将检验巴蒂斯幼虫的种群是否受到招募。这一建议将对了解水生昆虫种群的招募及其对后续昆虫行为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)如何影响局部和区域尺度上的种群格局的模型。此外，它将为了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非常重要。

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.