Relocation and Concentration in the 2004 Emergence of Periodical Cicadas

周期性蝉的发生是一个非常壮观的事件，对森林生态有着重要的影响。该项目是一个调查的一般假设，人类的森林环境的变化，增加了蝉集中在特定的环境中的影响，突发事件。周期性的蝉花了大部分时间在地下，但成年人出现繁殖，在13或17年的时间间隔，和他们的空间行为在短暂的出现期间占迁移和集中的种群。蝉的大量生物量产生了从地下到地上的营养物质的主要通量。蝉的羽化也会对树木和灌木造成严重的破坏，因为它们在树枝上存款卵，蝉的羽化结束了一段时间的大量进食树根的成熟幼虫，并开始了一段时间的较轻的喂养下一代的年轻幼虫。这些影响可能会改变生态动态，有利于一些树种和灌木，但影响将取决于蝉的空间集中。 这种集中度很可能会因为人类对森林的改造而改变，因为蝉会选择森林边缘的区域和最近的干扰来存款产生下一代的卵。2004年春季将出现最大的周期性蝉窝，分析将基于空间样本，这将足以分析蝉群出现前后的位置。这些样本将用于使用空间统计分析方法，检验关于土著居民净迁移和集中的具体假设。该项目将揭示人类活动与自然过程相结合的方式的具体特征，特别是蝉的空间行为，以改变生态动态和改变森林环境。

Emergences of periodical cicadas are spectacular events and may exert important effects on forest ecology. This project is an investigation of the general hypothesis that human modifications of forest environments increase the effects of cicada emergences by causing cicadas to concentrate in particular environments. Periodical cicadas spend most of their lives underground but adults emerge to reproduce, at 13 or 17-year intervals, and their spatial behavior during the brief emergence period accounts for the relocation and concentration of cicada populations. The large biomass of cicadas produces a major flux of nutrients from below to above ground. Emerging cicadas also inflict substantial damage on trees and shrubs as they deposit eggs in twigs and the emergence ends a period of heavy feeding on tree roots by maturing nymphs and initiates a period of lighter feeding by younger nymphs of the next generation. These effects may alter ecological dynamics by favoring some species of trees and shrubs but the effects will depend on the spatial concentration of cicadas. That concentration is likely to be altered by human modification of the forest, since cicadas select areas of forest edge and recent disturbance to deposit the eggs that produce the next generation. The largest brood of periodical cicadas will emerge in Spring, 2004 and the analysis will be based on spatial samples that will be sufficient to analyze the location of the cicada population before and after the emergence. The samples will be used to test specific hypotheses about the net relocation and concentration of the cicada population using methods for spatial statistical analysis. The project will reveal specific features of the ways that human activity works in conjunction with a natural process, specifically the spatial behavior of cicadas, to alter ecological dynamics and modify a forest environment.