Consequences of Detrital Complexity for Ecosystem Function

该项目将研究具有不同腐烂特征的树叶碎屑对源头溪流生态系统特性的重要性，这些溪流的大部分能量来自周围的森林，作为秋季落叶。通过操纵碎屑资源的质量和复杂性(即叶片类型的数量)，研究人员将检验这样一个假设，即碎屑生态系统中碎屑的质量和复杂性调节生态系统的结构和功能。这将通过控制碎屑的持久性和对溪流生活的消费者有机体的可用性来实现。增加叶片碎屑的复杂性应该减少关键生态系统特征和过程的时间变化，如有机质现存量、有机质输出、真菌繁殖、养分保持、生态系统新陈代谢以及无脊椎动物的丰度、生物量和产量。人为减少全球生物多样性需要更好地了解生物多样性对生态系统进程的影响，例如不同的河岸补种计划对河流生态系统的影响。

This project will examine the importance of leaf detritus with differing decay characteristics on ecosystem properties in headwater streams that receive most of their energy from the surrounding forest as autumn-shed leaves. By manipulating the quality and complexity (i.e., number of leaf types) of detrital resources, the investigators will test the hypothesis that quality and complexity of detritus in a detritus-based ecosystem regulates ecosystem structure and function. This will be accomplished by controlling detritus persistence and availability to stream-dwelling consumer organisms. Increasing the complexity of leaf detritus should reduce temporal variation in key ecosystem characteristics and processes such as standing crop of organic matter, organic matter export, fungal reproduction, nutrient retention, ecosystem metabolism, and invertebrate abundance, biomass and production. Anthropogenic reductions in global biodiversity require an improved understanding of the impacts of biodiversity on ecosystem processes, such as the consequences of different riparian replanting schemes for stream ecosystems.