CRB: Physiological and Thermoregulatory Responses of a Top Ppredator to Large-Scale Habitat Manipulations.

对人类对环境的影响的关注使我们有必要了解栖息地恢复、维持和监测生物多样性的最佳做法。该项目将开发利用顶级捕食者的生理和行为反应来监测栖息地恢复的有效性，旨在改善野生动物的栖息地质量。因为它们处于食物链的顶端，食肉动物的行为、生长和体重都会反映栖息地质量的变化。阿肯色狩猎和鱼类委员会计划通过砍伐和使用控制火来操纵森林地块，以增加野生动物的食物供应。研究者将使用标准的生态和生理监测技术来量化植物、小型哺乳动物和一种顶级捕食者——木响尾蛇（Crotalus horridus）在被操纵和未被操纵的森林样地的反应。预计森林经营将增加地面种子产量，增加小哺乳动物的多样性和丰度，改善捕食者的身体状况和生长速度。此外，栖息地结构的变化可能会影响蛇调节体温的能力，这也会影响它们的生长和身体状况。该项目为了解粮食生产植物、小型哺乳动物种群及其主要捕食者之间的详细联系提供了独特的机会。验证利用捕食者反应监测森林健康将对栖息地恢复和管理领域作出重要贡献，并将提供有关这些顶级捕食者对栖息地变化影响的生理反应的重要信息。该项目的更广泛影响集中在公共教育、教师培训以及本科和研究生教育。通过将种子坠落调查纳入奥扎克自然科学中心的课程，计划让数百名五年级学生直接参与。阿肯色大学将通过适当的项目积极争取代表性不足群体成员的参与。最后，这项工作将加强阿肯色大学研究人员与阿肯色狩猎和鱼类委员会以及阿肯色自然遗产委员会等重要州机构之间的研究联系和合作。

Concerns about the impacts of humans on the environment have created a need to understand best practices for habitat restoration, maintenance and monitoring of biodiversity. This project will develop the use of the physiological and behavioral responses of a top predator to monitor the effectiveness of habitat restoration aimed at improving habitat quality for wildlife. Because they are at the top of the food chain, predators reflect changes in habitat quality in their behavior, growth, and body weight. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission plans to manipulate forest plots using cutting and application of controlled fire to increase food availability for wildlife. The investigator will use standard ecological and physiological monitoring techniques to quantify the responses of plants, small mammals and a top predator, the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in manipulated and unmanipulated forest plots. It is expected that forest manipulations will result in increased seed production at ground level, increased small mammal diversity and abundance, and improvements in body condition and growth rate of the predator. Furthermore, it is likely that changes in habitat structure will influence the ability of the snakes to regulate their body temperatures, which also will affect their growth and body condition. The project provides a unique opportunity to understand detailed connections between food producing plants, small mammal populations and their primary predator. Validation of the use of predator responses to monitor forest health will be an important contribution to the field of habitat restoration and management, and will provide important information about the physiological responses of these top predators to the impacts of habitat change. The broader impacts of this project focus on public education, teacher training, and undergraduate and graduate education. Direct involvement of hundreds of 5th grade students is planned through the incorporation of seed fall surveys into the Ozark Natural Science Center curriculum. Participation of members of underrepresented groups will be aggressively pursued through appropriate programs at the University of Arkansas. Finally, the work will strengthen research ties and cooperation between University of Arkansas researchers and important state agencies such as the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.