LTER: Long-Term Dynamics of a Coral Reef Ecosystem

LTER：珊瑚礁生态系统的长期动态

• 批准号: 0417412
• 负责人: Russell Schmitt
• 金额: $ 492万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Barbara
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0417412&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: LTER; Long; Term; Dynamics; Coral

Coral reefs are of great ecological importance, having the highest species diversity of any marine habitat and ranking near the top of all ecosystems with respect to annual total gross productivity. The communities are supported structurally by reef-building corals and trophically by efficient recycling. The key biotic interaction underlying reef systems is the mutualistic relationship between hermatypic corals and photosynthetic zooxanthellae. Hermatypic corals are both functional autotrophs and heterotrophs and derive carbon from multiple sources. In addition to biotic interactions, numerous other biological processes are influenced by a variety of abiotic events that can operate at spatial scales ranging from millimeters to hundreds of kilometers, and which can vary on short to long time scales. Coral reef ecosystems can be affected by perturbations ranging from short and relatively localized disturbances, where return to the original state is possible, to more chronic, widespread influence of shifts in climate over decades that may fundamentally alter the ecosystem. The latter perturbation is predicted to cause sweeping change in coral reef ecosystems in the coming decades. While there are coral reef monitoring programs, descriptive ecology alone cannot elucidate the mechanistic basis of change in these systems. This award will establish a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site focused on dynamics of coral reef ecosystems, at the island of Moorea, French Polynesia, location of the University of California's Gump Research Station. This LTER will estimate long-term trends and address key gaps in understanding through long-term observations and experiments supplemented by shorter-term process studies. The goals are to better understand key processes that (i) modulate ecosystem function, (ii) shape community structure and diversity, and (iii) determine abundance and dynamics of constituent populations. Such mechanistic understanding will allow more accurate predictions of how coral reef ecosystems will respond to qualitatively different types of environmental change. Coordinated interdisciplinary research by the team of 20 investigators will address issues central to the LTER program. The themes that will form the core research thrusts of the proposed LTER include: (1) the biological bases for variation in ecological performance of hermatypic corals (the foundational group); (2) population dynamics of key groups; (3) food web and nutrient dynamics; and (4) the maintenance and functional consequences of diversity. Two additional research components cut across these themes and will help to integrate and generalize the research endeavors of the thematic areas. These are: (a) an explicit focus on physical - biological coupling (including but not limited to abiotic forcing) over multiple scales; and (b) hydrodynamic, food-web and ecosystem modeling to obtain greater insight and predictive power, and to further guide empirical efforts. Major issues within each thematic area will be addressed through focused, process-oriented studies and by long-term monitoring of key abiotic conditions and important ecosystem processes, community attributes, and demographic processes for representative functional groups of organisms. Broader Impacts. Both the scientific community and the public have tremendous interest in and concern about conservation of coral reef ecosystems. This project will greatly increase understanding of these systems, and as such, will inform government officials, resource managers and others charged with conservation and management of coral reefs. LTER cross-site comparisons that reveal generality across different ecosystems will lead to more effective management of natural resources in general. Scientific findings and technical information from the project will be broadly disseminated through a website, scientific publications and presentations, and in the media. Outreach activities will be extensive, and will involve K-12 programs in Southern California as well as community and school outreach in French Polynesia and an internship program for Tahitian university students (coordinated by the Atitia Center). Undergraduate and graduate students from under-represented groups (particularly Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Island) will be involved in an education and research training program, linking California State University Northridge (a minority institution) and University of California Santa Barbara, that will provide training in research, team research experiences, and development of skills needed to carry out interdisciplinary, collaborative research. The project also will engage in post-doctoral training, and will build international linkages between US scientists and those in South Pacific island nations.

珊瑚礁具有重要的生态意义，在任何海洋生境中具有最高的物种多样性，就年总生产力而言，在所有生态系统中排名接近前列。这些群落在结构上由造礁珊瑚支撑，在营养上由有效的循环利用支撑。珊瑚礁系统中关键的生物相互作用是两性珊瑚和光合虫黄藻之间的共生关系。雌雄同体珊瑚既是功能性的自养生物，也是异养生物，它们从多种来源获取碳。除了生物相互作用外，许多其他生物过程还受到各种非生物事件的影响，这些事件可以在从毫米到数百公里的空间尺度上发生作用，并且可以在短时间尺度上变化。珊瑚礁生态系统可能受到各种扰动的影响，从短期和相对局部的扰动（有可能恢复到原始状态）到几十年来气候变化的更长期、更广泛的影响（可能从根本上改变生态系统）。据预测，后一种扰动将在未来几十年导致珊瑚礁生态系统的全面变化。虽然有珊瑚礁监测计划，但描述性生态学本身无法阐明这些系统变化的机制基础。该奖项将在法属波利尼西亚的Moorea岛建立一个长期生态研究（LTER）站点，重点研究珊瑚礁生态系统的动态，该站点位于加州大学的Gump研究站。本报告将通过长期观察和实验并辅以短期过程研究来估计长期趋势，并解决理解方面的关键差距。目标是更好地理解以下关键过程：(i)调节生态系统功能，（ii）塑造群落结构和多样性，以及（iii）确定组成种群的丰度和动态。这种机制的理解将使我们能够更准确地预测珊瑚礁生态系统将如何对不同类型的环境变化做出反应。由20名研究人员组成的团队将协调跨学科研究，解决LTER计划的核心问题。将构成拟议LTER的核心研究重点的主题包括：(1)两性珊瑚生态性能变化的生物学基础（基础组）；(2)关键类群的种群动态；(3)食物网与营养动态；(4)多样性的维持和功能后果。另外两个研究组成部分贯穿这些主题，将有助于综合和概括各主题领域的研究工作。这些是：(a)明确关注多尺度上的物理-生物耦合（包括但不限于非生物强迫）；(b)水动力学、食物网和生态系统建模，以获得更大的洞察力和预测能力，并进一步指导实证工作。每个专题领域内的主要问题将通过集中的、面向过程的研究和长期监测关键的非生物条件和重要的生态系统过程、群落属性和具有代表性的生物功能组的人口统计过程来解决。更广泛的影响。无论是科学界还是公众，对珊瑚礁生态系统的保护都有着极大的兴趣和关注。这个项目将大大增进对这些系统的了解，因此将向政府官员、资源管理人员和负责保护和管理珊瑚礁的其他人员提供信息。LTER跨站点比较揭示了不同生态系统之间的共性，将导致更有效的自然资源管理。该项目的科学发现和技术资料将通过网站、科学出版物和简报以及媒体广泛传播。外展活动将是广泛的，将包括南加州的K-12课程，法属波利尼西亚的社区和学校外展活动，以及塔希提岛大学生的实习项目（由阿提西亚中心协调）。来自弱势群体（特别是西班牙裔、美洲原住民和太平洋岛屿）的本科生和研究生将参与一项教育和研究培训计划，该计划将连接加州州立大学北岭分校（少数族裔机构）和加州大学圣巴巴拉分校，该计划将提供研究培训、团队研究经验和开展跨学科合作研究所需的技能发展。该项目还将参与博士后培训，并将建立美国科学家与南太平洋岛国科学家之间的国际联系。