Dissertation Research: Predator-dependent Species-area Relationships in Ozark Glades

较小的栖息地包含较少的物种。 这种物种-面积关系（SAR）是预测栖息地破坏对物种灭绝影响的基础。 这种关系的斜率决定了随着更多的栖息地被破坏，有多少物种灭绝。 一个陡峭的SAR表明，栖息地面积的小幅减少将导致广泛的物种灭绝。 然而，栖息地的破坏也消除了对栖息地需求较大的顶级捕食者，这可能会减少猎物物种的灭绝。 栖息地破坏对物种灭绝的这些相互矛盾的影响表明，顶级捕食者的损失可能会改变SAR斜率或猎物物种灭绝的速度，随着栖息地破坏的增加。为了探索这一想法，Ryberg和Chase开发了一个数学模型，预测捕食者将减少SAR斜率，表明栖息地破坏对物种多样性的负面影响将在捕食者的存在下减少。 他们在一个受到栖息地破坏威胁的生态系统中测试了这一假设，Ozark沼泽地是岩石草原，其中包含零星分布的掠食性领蜥蜴及其蚱蜢猎物。 蝗虫猎物的多样性在不同大小的空地与蜥蜴和没有初步数据显示，在蜥蜴捕食者的存在下，一个较浅的蝗虫SAR。 该结果的一般性将通过额外的空间和时间采样进行统计评估。 这项研究将改善目前的林地恢复工作，通过与林地保护有关的科学推广计划促进公众教育，并增加本科生的研究机会，特别是那些来自代表性不足的背景。

Smaller habitats contain fewer species. This species-area relationship (SAR) is fundamental to predicting the effects of habitat destruction on species extinction. The slope of this relationship determines how many species go extinct as more habitat is destroyed. A steep SAR suggests that small decreases in habitat area will result in extensive species extinctions. However, habitat destruction also eliminates top predators with large habitat requirements, which could decrease prey species extinction. These conflicting impacts of habitat destruction on species extinction suggest that a loss of top predators might alter SAR slopes or the rate at which prey species go extinct with increasing habitat destruction. To explore this idea, Ryberg and Chase develop a mathematical model which predicts that predators will reduce SAR slopes, indicating that the negative impact of habitat destruction on species diversity will be diminished in the presence of predators. They test this hypothesis in an ecosystem threatened by habitat destruction, Ozark glades, which are rocky prairies that contain patchily distributed populations of predatory Collared lizards and their grasshopper prey. Preliminary data on grasshopper prey diversity in glades of varying size with and without lizards reveal a shallower grasshopper SAR in the presence of lizard predators. The generality of this result will be evaluated statistically with additional spatial and temporal sampling. This research will improve current glade restoration efforts, promote public education through scientific outreach programs related to glade conservation, and increase research opportunities for undergraduate students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.