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其物理环境中的干扰做出反应。数学模型可以为之前的实证工作增加价值，并帮助确定未来研究的优先事项，从而促进这种理解。这项研究将开发适用于溪流、河流和其他单向流动介质中的动植物种群的新理论。该项目将重点解决三个问题。环境变异性通过什么机制影响物种灭绝的可能性？河流流量对人口对干扰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添加？这一新理论的实用性将使用来自实验河流系统和一条天然河流的数据进行测试。这些发现将为环境管理者提供新的方法来解决“河流径流需求”这一关键问题：必须保持河流中的水流，以确保生物种群的生存能力。将对博士后研究员、研究生以及生态学和数学本科生进行跨学科培训。

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.