DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Nature of the Savannas that Replace Dry Forests in Chiquitania, Bolivia

气候变化、火灾和人类土地利用预计将把亚马逊森林的大部分变成稀树草原。尽管热带森林砍伐的原因已经有了很好的记载，但被稀树草原取代的森林数量以及这些稀树草原的植物物种组成，却没有得到太多关注。在玻利维亚的一个森林面临被稀树草原取代的地区，这项研究将使用卫星图像和实地采样来确定有多少森林已经被稀树草原取代，以及在这些不断扩大的稀树草原上生长着哪些草种。草本植物之间的差异应该影响稀树草原是否扩展到邻近的森林。这项工作将测量不同草种的特征，以确定哪些属性使某些物种特别能够促进稀树草原的扩展。这项研究将促进国际合作，确保未来科学家和学生继续存在国际研究机会。该项目还将通过增进对稀树草原扩展过程的了解，为森林管理决策提供信息。这些信息对于确定亚马逊森林的潜在命运以及稀树草原取代森林用于潜在土地利用、生物多样性保护和碳储存的后果至关重要。

Climate change, fire, and human land use are predicted to convert large portions of Amazonian forest into savanna. Although the causes of tropical deforestation are well documented, the amount of forest-replaced by savanna, and the plant species compositions of these savannas, have received less attention. In a region of Bolivia where forests are at risk of replacement by savanna, this research will use satellite images and field sampling to determine how much forest has been replaced by savanna and what grass species grow in these expanding savannas. Differences between grasses should influence whether savanna expands into adjacent forests. This work will measure the characteristics of different grass species to determine what attributes make some species particularly capable of contributing to savanna expansion. This research will promote international collaboration and ensure that international research opportunities continue to exist for scientists and students in the future. This project will also inform forest management decisions through increased understanding of savanna expansion processes. This information is essential for determining the potential fates of Amazonian forests and the consequences of forest replacement by savanna for potential land uses, biodiversity conservation, and carbon storage.