Seed-dispersal Mutualisms: The Spatio-temporal Dynamics of Fleshy-fruited Plants and Their Avian Dispersers on Landscapes

每一株植物都是定居的，然而植物物种却会长距离迁移到新的栖息地。这个项目将研究鸟类如何移动入侵植物，以阐明吃水果的鸟类如何通过移动种子来帮助植物在景观中传播。 将通过结合现有的有关鸟类运动模式和种子通过鸟类消化系统的速度的信息，以及新收集的有关鸟类活动栖息地中植物生存和繁殖的数据，建立一个模型。 该模型将使人们有可能测试鸟类运动和鸟类对某些栖息地类型的偏好如何影响鸟类分散植物的迁移速度。沿着对种子传播生态学的基本见解，这项研究将为对抗入侵植物提供一个关键工具。入侵植物和动物是世界上80%的受威胁或濒危物种的最重要威胁。由于这项工作特别关注入侵的食果鸟类和入侵植物，因此它将提供必要的信息，以制定具体的定量指南，用于早期检测和控制其他入侵的鸟类传播的植物。

Every individual plant is sedentary, yet plant species move over long distances and into new habitats. This project will investigate how birds move invasive plants, to elucidate how fruit-eating birds help plants spread across landscapes by moving their seeds. A model will be built by combining existing information about bird movement patterns and the rates at which seeds pass through birds' digestive systems with newly-collected data on plant survival and reproduction in the habitats that birds move around in. This model will make it possible to test ideas about how bird movements and the preference of birds for certain habitat types influence the speed of migration of bird-dispersed plants. Along with fundamental insights into the ecology of seed dispersal, this research will provide a critical tool in the fight against invasive plants. Invasive plants and animals are the most important threat for up to 80% of the world's threatened or endangered species. Because this work specifically focuses on invasive fruit-eating birds and invasive plants, it will provide information necessary to produce specific, quantitative guidelines for the early detection and control of other invasive, bird-dispersed plants.