DISSERTATION RESEARCH: An Experimental Test of the Relationship Between Seed Predator Density and Recruitment Limitation in Tropical Trees

论文研究：热带树木种子捕食者密度与补充限制之间关系的实验测试

• 批准号: 0309408
• 负责人: Marcel Rejmanek
• 金额: $ 1.55万
• 依托单位: University of California-Davis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-10-01 至 2005-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0309408&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Experimental; Test; Relationship

Abstract- Rejmanek, Marcel (0309408)The processes that are responsible for maintaining the high levels of diversity of trees in tropical forests are not well understood. There is increasing evidence that a particularly important process is recruitment limitation, where the seeds of many species do not reach sites favorable for germination and growth before the seeds of another species do. As a result, less competitive species are able to persist simply by virtue of getting a head start in growth over more competitive species. However, recruitment limitation may not be due entirely to chance. Instead, it more often may be an outcome of the "opportunity" seeds have to be dispersed. Many animals are important consumers and dispersers of seeds, and it can be expected that whether a seed gets eaten or dispersed and cached depends on the type of animal handling the seed, how many animals there are in an area to handle the seed, the relative preference animals have for any particular type of seed, and where the animal caches the seed. It has been hypothesized that more seeds will be dispersed and cached when seed-eating animals have more food, but this has not been experimentally tested. This research would test this hypothesis with an experiment focused on three species of palm with different sized seeds, and the spiny pocket mouse (Heteromys desmarestianus), the dominant mammal seed predator/disperser in the lowland rainforests of Belize. The abundance of H. desmarestianu would be experimentally reduced, and then seed removal and dispersal rates, and where seeds are cached between plots with and without reduced abundance of H. desmarestianus would be compared. This is the first study to experimentally test the relationship between seed predator density and recruitment limitation in tropical forests, and is a collaboration between scientists from UC Davis, the Belize Foundation for Research & Environmental Education, and the University of Belize. Funding has been provided through a Dissertation Improvement Grant from the Directorate of Biological Science, with additional funds from the International Science and Engineering Program.

翻译后摘要- Rejmanek，马塞尔（0309408）负责保持高水平的热带森林树木的多样性的过程还没有很好地理解。越来越多的证据表明，一个特别重要的过程是补充限制，许多物种的种子不会在另一个物种的种子之前到达有利于发芽和生长的地点。结果，竞争力较弱的物种能够坚持下去，仅仅是因为它们在生长上领先于竞争力较强的物种。然而，招聘限制可能不完全是偶然的。相反，它更多的时候可能是一个结果，“机会”的种子必须分散。许多动物是种子的重要消费者和传播者，可以预期，种子是否被吃掉或传播和储存取决于处理种子的动物类型，一个地区有多少动物处理种子，动物对任何特定类型的种子的相对偏好，以及动物将种子储存在哪里。有人假设，当吃种子的动物有更多的食物时，更多的种子会被分散和储存，但这还没有经过实验验证。 这项研究将测试这一假设的实验集中在三种不同大小的种子棕榈，和多刺口袋鼠（Heteromys desmarestianus），占主导地位的哺乳动物种子捕食者/分散在低地雨林的伯利兹。 H. desmarestianu将通过实验减少，然后种子去除和传播率，以及种子在H丰度降低和不降低的地块之间缓存的情况。德马雷斯蒂亚努斯将被比较。 这是第一项通过实验测试热带森林中种子捕食者密度和招募限制之间关系的研究，是加州大学戴维斯分校，伯利兹研究环境教育基金会和伯利兹大学的科学家之间的合作。通过生物科学理事会的论文改进赠款提供资金，国际科学和工程计划提供额外资金。