Collaborative Research: Ecosystem Level Consequences of Extinction: Quantifying the Ecosystem Level Effects of Catastrophic Amphibian Declines in Neotropical Streams

合作研究：灭绝的生态系统水平后果：量化新热带溪流中灾难性两栖动物减少对生态系统水平的影响

• 批准号: 0716680
• 负责人: Susan Kilham
• 金额: $ 14.04万
• 依托单位: Drexel University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-01 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0716680&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Ecosystem; Level; Consequences

Amphibians are important components of aquatic and terrestrial habitats and can represent an important energetic link between the two, particularly in the tropics where diversity and abundance are greatest. However, amphibian populations are declining dramatically around the world, with catastrophic losses occurring even in remote, undisturbed regions of the tropics. Declines often result in the disappearance of over 75% of amphibians at a site, particularly species that breed in streams, and massive losses are reported from 13 Latin American countries in the last 20 years. This research will assess the ecological consequences of amphibian declines by investigating how these losses affect stream structure and function, including biodiversity, productivity, nutrient cycling, and energy and nutrient exchanges between streams and forests. This will be accomplished through intensive examinations of streams located along a moving disease front in Panama before and after disease-driven declines occur. This research addresses an urgent, global problem and will provide information critical for understanding the ecological consequences of extinction and the loss of biodiversity, one of the eight ?grand challenges? and four focal areas of research in the environmental sciences recommended by the National Research Council. Understanding the potential large-scale and far-reaching consequences of catastrophic reductions in biodiversity and extinction events such as these will allow for more accurate predicting of ecological function in light of declining global biodiversity.

两栖动物是水生栖息地的重要组成部分，可以代表两者之间的重要充满活力的联系，尤其是在多样性和丰富性最大的热带地区。然而，两栖动物的人口在世界各地急剧下降，即使在热带地区的偏远，不受干扰的地区，灾难性的损失也会发生。下降通常会导致超过75％的两栖动物在一个地点消失，尤其是在溪流中繁殖的物种，并且在过去20年中，13个拉丁美洲国家据报道了大规模损失。这项研究将通过研究这些损失如何影响流的结构和功能，包括生物多样性，生产力，营养循环以及溪流和森林之间的能量和养分交换，来评估两栖动物下降的生态后果。这将通过在发生疾病驱动的下降之前和之后对位于巴拿马移动疾病前沿的溪流进行深入检查。这项研究解决了一个紧迫的全球问题，将为理解灭绝的生态后果和生物多样性的丧失提供至关重要的信息，这是八个巨大的挑战之一？国家研究委员会推荐的环境科学研究的四个焦点领域。了解生物多样性和灭绝事件中灾难性减少的潜在大规模和深远的后果，鉴于全球生物多样性的下降，诸如此类的灭绝事件将更准确地预测生态功能。