U.S.-Bolivia/Brazil Dissertation Research: Testing Proximate Hypotheses of Bird Migration in a Gorgotten Migratory System

该博士论文增强奖将为佛罗里达大学的PI和Co-PI提供资金，以便在玻利维亚和巴西的实地进行研究。 这项研究是建立在先前的NSF资助的研讨会：NSF INT-0313429“美国-智利讲习班：第一次南方移徙问题专题讨论会”，瓦拉斯港，智利，2003年10月5日至11日。 这项研究通过利用南方候鸟的一个不寻常的特征来检验一种关于鸟类迁徙的近因理论：种群内迁徙行为的巨大变化。由于这一理论是在同一组北温带物种上开发和测试的，因此这项工作构成了第一个真正的独立测试。这项拟议中的研究将促进阿根廷、玻利维亚和巴西研究人员之间的国际合作。这项研究将通过实地测试该计划的几个重要组成部分，通过让这些其他国家的高级合作者参与，并通过对学生进行实地技术培训，奠定基础。玻利维亚圣克鲁斯的自然诺埃尔肯普夫梅尔卡多历史博物馆（MHNNKM）将是主要的合作机构。参与这项研究的玻利维亚人包括共同主要研究者（拥有玻利维亚和美国双重国籍），两个学士来自玻利维亚当地大学的学生和来自MHNNKM的一名女研究员。所有受试者均将在研究中心全职工作。

This Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement award will provide funding for the PI and Co-PI from the University of Florida to conduct studies at field sites in Bolivia and Brazil. The study is building upon a prior NSF funded workshop: NSF INT-0313429 "U.S.-Chile Workshop: First Symposium on Austral Migration", Puerto Varas, Chile, 5-11 October 2003. The research tests a theory about the proximate causes of bird migration by taking advantage of an unusual feature of austral migrants: the large variation in migratory behaviors within populations. Because this theory has been developed and tested on the same set of north temperate species, this work constitutes its first true independent test.The proposed study will promote international collaboration between Argentinean, Bolivian and Brazilian researchers. The study will lay the groundwork by field-testing several important components of the scheme, by involving senior collaborators in these other countries, and by training students in field techniques. The Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado (MHNNKM) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia will be the primary collaborative institution. Bolivian participants in this study include the co-PI (who has dual citizenship in Bolivia and the U.S.), two B.S. students from the local university in Bolivia, and a female researcher from the MHNNKM. All will be at the study site full-time.