The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution for Bird-dispersed Pines, Clark's Nutcrackers and Pine Squirrels

鸟类分散的松树、克拉克胡桃夹子和松鼠的共同进化的地理马赛克

• 批准号: 0515735
• 负责人: Craig Benkman
• 金额: $ 10.62万
• 依托单位: University of Wyoming
• 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: 2005-08-15 至 2008-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0515735&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Geographic; Mosaic; Coevolution; Bird; dispersed

A fundamental challenge of biology is to understand how various biological processes organize biodiversity across the landscape. By using both field studies and aviary experiments, the investigators propose to examine how community context (i.e., the groups of potentially interacting species and in particular the presence and absence of pine squirrels) affect the outcome of a mutualistic interaction between a seed disperser (Clark's Nutcracker; a species of songbird) and two species of pines (limber and whitebark pine) in the mountains of western North America. An understanding of community context is especially relevant because habitat fragmentation, species introductions and other anthropogenic disturbances may rearrange communities and thus the interactions among species. The investigators will answer two fundamental questions. First, they will determine how the presence and absence of an antagonist (pine squirrels) influences a mutualistic interaction and how this in turn may affect the development of pine forests. Second, they will test the hypothesis that bird dispersal in pines only evolves in the absence of pine squirrels. Broader impacts of this research include furthering our understanding of how geographic patterns of diversity arise, which is critical for long-term conservation efforts. Moreover, both limber and whitebark pines are undergoing dramatic declines due largely to an invasive pathogen that causes white pine blister rust. This research will further our understanding of the factors that govern seed dispersal and stand regeneration, which are critical in this system because long-term conservation efforts will likely be more successful if they rely on natural regeneration. A better understanding of pine recruitment is important because the presence of these two species of pines and nutcrackers determines the growth and establishment of an entire subalpine ecosystem in western North America. Finally, at least one Ph.D. student will be trained.

生物学的一个基本挑战是了解各种生物过程如何组织整个景观的生物多样性。通过使用实地研究和鸟舍实验，调查人员建议研究社区背景（即，潜在的相互作用物种的群体，特别是松树松鼠的存在和不存在）影响种子传播者（克拉克的胡桃夹子;鸣禽的一个物种）和两种松树（软松树和白皮松）在北美西部山区的互惠互动的结果。对群落背景的理解尤其重要，因为生境破碎化、物种引进和其他人为干扰可能会重新安排群落，从而重新安排物种之间的相互作用。调查人员将回答两个基本问题。首先，他们将确定拮抗剂（松松鼠）的存在和不存在如何影响互惠互动，以及这反过来又如何影响松林的发展。其次，他们将检验这样的假设：松树中的鸟类传播只有在没有松鼠的情况下才会发生。这项研究的更广泛影响包括进一步了解多样性的地理模式是如何产生的，这对长期保护工作至关重要。此外，软松和白皮松都在经历急剧下降，主要是由于一种入侵性病原体导致白松疱锈病。这项研究将进一步我们了解的因素，管理种子传播和林分再生，这是至关重要的，在这个系统中，因为长期的保护工作可能会更成功，如果他们依靠自然再生。更好地了解松树的补充是很重要的，因为这两种松树和胡桃的存在决定了北美西部整个亚高山生态系统的生长和建立。最后，至少有一个博士学位。学生将接受培训。