CAA: Linking Ecosystem and Population Ecology: How Does Nitrogen Deposition Influence Plant Demography in Neotropical Savannas?

CAA：将生态系统和种群生态学联系起来：氮沉降如何影响新热带稀树草原的植物种群？

• 批准号: 0542287
• 负责人: Emilio Bruna
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-05-15 至 2009-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0542287&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAA; Linking; Ecosystem; Population; Ecology

Human activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels and the application of chemical fertilizers have more than doubled the quantity of nitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems. This increase can have profound consequences for ecosystem properties, but how it influences the dynamics of plant populations remains unknown. Bruna and his collaborators will conduct an experimental test of how nitrogen enhancement influences the dynamics of plant populations in tropical savannas. They will manipulate nitrogen levels in experimental plots and use matrix models to elucidate the demography of a dominant bunchgrass (Tristachya leiostachya), and to observe how changes in the abundance of this species influence ecosystem properties such rates of net nitrogen mineralization.Because the ecological responses of tropical ecosystems to nitrogen deposition are likely to be dramatically different from those of temperate ones, Bruna's research will address a major gap in our understanding of how tropical plant populations are regulated. Furthermore, anthropogenic nitrogen deposition is widely recognized as an emerging threat to ecosystems throughout the developing world. Thus, this work will have important implications for conservation. Finally, this research will support the academic advancement of minority scientists, as well as enhance the ecological content of courses taught by faculty at community colleges and minority-serving institutions.

人类活动，如燃烧化石燃料和施用化肥，使陆地生态系统中的氮量增加了一倍以上。这种增加可能对生态系统特性产生深远的影响，但它如何影响植物种群的动态仍然未知。布鲁纳和他的合作者将进行一项实验测试，研究氮的增加如何影响热带稀树草原植物种群的动态。他们将操纵试验田的氮水平，并使用矩阵模型来阐明占主导地位的丛生草的人口统计学（Tristachya leiostachya）的生态系统特性，并观察该物种丰度的变化如何影响生态系统的净氮矿化速率。由于热带生态系统对氮沉降的生态响应可能与温带生态系统有很大不同，布鲁纳的研究将解决我们对热带植物种群如何调节的理解中的一个主要空白。 此外，人类活动造成的氮沉降被广泛认为是对整个发展中世界生态系统的一种新的威胁。因此，这项工作将对保护产生重要影响。最后，这项研究将支持少数民族科学家的学术进步，并加强社区学院和少数民族服务机构教师讲授的课程的生态内容。