RUI: Inducible Defenses and Community Ecology: An Integrated Approach.

RUI：诱导防御和群落生态学：一种综合方法。

• 批准号: 0444939
• 负责人: Andrew Turner
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Clarion University of Pennsylvania
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-04-01 至 2011-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0444939&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Inducible; Defenses; Community; Ecology

RUI: Inducible Defenses and Community Ecology: An Integrated ApproachAndrew M. TurnerClarion University Predators play a key role in maintaining the structure and function of ecological communities, but the mechanism by which they do so is not clear. Predation has traditionally been studied in terms of how predators alter prey population size, but predators also induce shifts in prey behavior, morphology, and life-history. The non-lethal effects of predators may cascade through ecological systems, altering populations and communities. If true, a full understanding of community structure would depend on a detailed knowledge of not just predator diets, but also how predators alter prey traits. The work outlined in this proposal is aimed at integrating an understanding of prey trait shifts into the larger realm of community ecology. The studies employ freshwater snails and their predators in laboratory experiments, field experiments, and field surveys in order to determine if predator-induced trait shifts alter community organization. Freshwater snails are an ideal model system with which to address the role of trait shifts in ecological systems because their traits are quite plastic, their short generation times facilitate study of the population level effects of trait shifts, they are readily reared in captivity, and they are key players in many aquatic ecosystems. The results of these studies will further our understanding of how natural communities function, thereby enhancing our ability to manage natural resources and conserve biological diversity. The research program places a large emphasis on undergraduate training and integration with teaching and teacher training.

诱导防御和社区生态学：一个综合的方法。特纳克拉里昂大学捕食者在维持生态群落的结构和功能方面发挥着关键作用，但它们这样做的机制尚不清楚。 传统上研究捕食者如何改变猎物的种群规模，但捕食者也诱导猎物的行为，形态和生活史的变化。 捕食者的非致命影响可能通过生态系统级联，改变种群和社区。 如果这是真的，那么对群落结构的全面了解不仅取决于对捕食者饮食的详细了解，还取决于捕食者如何改变猎物特征。 这项建议中概述的工作旨在将对猎物特征变化的理解融入更大的社区生态学领域。 这些研究采用淡水蜗牛和它们的捕食者在实验室实验，现场实验和实地调查，以确定是否捕食者引起的性状变化改变社区组织。 淡水蜗牛是一个理想的模型系统，以解决生态系统中的性状变化的作用，因为他们的性状是相当的塑料，他们的世代时间短，便于研究人口水平的性状变化的影响，他们很容易饲养在人工饲养，他们是许多水生生态系统中的关键球员。 这些研究的结果将使我们进一步了解自然界的功能，从而提高我们管理自然资源和保护生物多样性的能力。 该研究计划非常重视本科生培训以及与教学和教师培训的整合。