QEIB: Modeling Disturbances in Systems with Unidirectional Flow

生态学家面临的一个主要挑战是了解种群如何对物理环境的干扰作出反应。 数学模型可以通过为以前的经验工作提供附加值并帮助确定未来研究的优先事项来促进这种理解。这项研究将开发适用于溪流，河流和其他介质中的植物和动物种群的新理论，其中流动偏向一个方向。 该项目将侧重于三个问题。 环境变化通过什么机制影响预防的可能性？ 河流流量对种群对干扰的反应的短期影响是什么？ 物种之间的相互作用如何影响种群和群落对环境压力的反应，例如流量的变化或营养物质的增加？新理论的实用性将使用实验溪流系统的数据进行测试，也来自自然河流。研究结果将为环境管理人员提供新的方法来解决“瞬时流量需求”的关键问题：必须保持河流中的水流，以确保居民生物群的生存能力。将有一个博士后研究员，研究生，生态学和数学本科生的跨学科培训。

A major challenge for ecologists is to understand how populations respond to disturbances in their physical environment. Mathematical models can advance such understanding by giving added value to previous empirical work and helping identify priorities for future studies. This research will develop new theory applicable to plant and animal populations in streams, rivers, and other media where flow is biased in one direction. The project will focus on three questions. By what mechanisms does environmental variability impact the likelihood of extinctions? What is the short-term effect of river flow on population responses to disturbances? And how do interactions among species influence the response of populations and communities to environmental stress, such as changes in flow or addition of nutrients? The utility of the new theory will be tested using data from experimental stream systems, and also from a natural river.The findings will provide environmental mangers with new approaches to the critical issue of ''instream flow needs'': the flow of water in a river that must be maintained to ensure viability of resident biota. There will be cross-disciplinary training for a post-doctoral researcher, a graduate student, and for both ecology and mathematics undergraduates.