Dissertation Research: Regulation of Species Diversity by Assembly History in Ecological Communities

空间尺度是理解物种多样性的一个基本问题，因为产生多样性的机制随着尺度的变化而变化。生态群落是随着时间的推移而构建的，也是跨越空间形成的。群落聚集，即物种如何随着时间的推移加入群落，不仅提出了另一个问题，而且还负责观察到的空间格局。物种多样性、群落聚集度和空间尺度之间的关系还不是很清楚。该项目考察了三个因素，这些因素可能决定集合体在不同空间尺度上对多样性的贡献程度。区域物种库中的物种数量、群落可利用的养分量以及对群落施加的干扰类型的数量都可能起到重要作用。针对这些因素的假设将通过计算机模拟进行开发，并通过使用细菌、原生动物和轮虫的实验室实验进行验证。与大多数实地研究不同的是，这些方法确保了对入侵顺序和环境条件的严格控制，并监测了许多世代的群落动态。总体而言，该项目将提供一个基于组装的模型来解释物种多样性。将群落聚集的时间动态纳入我们的视角，将使生态学家更好地理解空间尺度在评估物种多样性调节方面的重要性。

Spatial scale poses a fundamental problem in understanding species diversity becausemechanisms creating variation in diversity change with scale. Ecological communities arestructured over time as well as patterned across space. Community assembly, how species joincommunities over time, not only poses another problem, but also is responsible for observedspatial patterns. It is not well known how species diversity, community assembly, and spatialscale relate. This project examines three factors that may determine the degree to whichassembly contributes to diversity at different spatial scales. The number of species in theregional species pool, the amount of nutrients available to communities, and the number ofdisturbance types imposed on communities may all play important roles. Hypotheses addressingthese factors will be developed through computer simulations and tested through laboratoryexperiments using bacteria, protists, and rotifers. These approaches, unlike most field studies,ensure rigorous control over invasion sequence and environmental conditions and monitorcommunity dynamics over many generations. Overall, this project will provide an assembly-based model explaining species diversity. Adding temporal dynamics of community assembly toour perspective will enable ecologists to better understand how and when spatial scale is criticalin assessing the regulation of species diversity.