CRB: The Role of Seed Limitation, Resource Competition, and Community Complementarity in Invasions and Restorations

该项目将研究一种特殊技术在恢复本地多年生加州草原中的效果。外来物种入侵是对全球生物多样性的最严重威胁之一，恢复是减轻损失的关键工具。 在加州，920万公顷的原生多年生草地被来自地中海地区的外来一年生植物入侵，同时造成原生植物生物多样性的丧失，并改变了生态地球化学过程，包括硝酸盐淋溶增加，改变了火制度，减少了碳储存。这可能促进并维持了原生栖息地的转换。 结果的一般性将通过在加州内广泛的纬度和栖息地进行实验来确定。 结果可能有广泛的应用到许多其他设置类似的改变原生栖息地发生，提供了一个重要的工具，以促进恢复工作。 此外，这些研究地点每年雇用多达15名本科生，并有数百名学童和成年人参观，为教育人们了解重要的生态变化以及如何改善这些变化提供了机会。

This project would research the efficacy of one particular technique in the restoration of native perennial California grasslands. Invasions by exotic species are among the most serious threats to global biodiversity and restoration is a critical tool to mitigate losses. In California, 9.2 million ha of native perennial grassland has been invaded by exotic annual plants from the Mediterranean region with a concomitant loss of native plant biodiversity, and altered biogeochemical processes including increased nitrate leaching, altered fire regimes, and decreased carbon storage.This research will utilize experiments that focus on the underlying ecological processes, particularly seed limitation and altered ecosystem processes, that may have facilitated and maintained the conversion of native habitat. The generality of the results will be determined by conducting experiments across a broad range of latitudes and habitats within California. The results may have broad application to many other settings where similar alteration of native habitats have occurred, providing an important tool to promote restoration efforts. Furthermore, the research sites employ up to 15 undergraduates students a year, and are visited by hundreds of school children and adults, providing an opportunity to educate people about important ecological changes and how to ameliorate them.