NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009

这一行动为2009财年国家科学基金会少数民族博士后研究奖学金提供资金，并根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金。该奖学金支持在东道主实验室为该研究员制定的研究和培训计划，该研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与度的计划。梅丽莎·马克的这项研究和培训计划的标题是“使用对应激的生理反应来评估环境退化对新热带繁殖鸟类生存和繁殖的影响。”这项研究将在达斯汀·鲁本斯坦博士的赞助下在加州大学伯克利分校进行。退化栖息地的环境压力会减少生活在荫凉咖啡等农林系统中的鸟类的生存和繁殖。这是因为高压力水平降低了对疾病和寄生虫的生理防御能力。退化栖息地的环境压力包括微生境的变化、不可预测的食物供应和更高的掠夺。这项研究正在研究生理、行为和人类引起的景观变化如何相互作用，影响农林复合景观中鸟类的长期生存。该项目正在探索这些应激源以及最近引入的一种生物应激源--条纹杜鹃(Tapera Naevia)的幼体寄生对红白相间的乌鸦(Thryothorus Rufabus)生存和繁殖的影响。这种幼体寄生虫在宿主鸟的巢中产卵，杜鹃幼鸟随后杀死所有宿主雏鸟。具体地说，该项目正在评估在树荫咖啡和完好的森林中饲养自己的雏鸟或杜鹃雏鸟的红白相间的乌鸦的压力水平的差异。培训目标包括免疫学和分子遗传学方面的新实验室和现场技术，以调查产生种群模式的机制和过程。这些技能将有助于这位研究员今后在发展中国家改良景观中保护生物多样性的工作计划。此外，该研究员将通过提供培训和专业发展，重点是与拉丁美洲国家的合作，为代表性不足的学生充当导师和榜样。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009 and is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Melissa Mark is "Using physiological responses to stress to evaluate the impact of environmental degradation on survivial and reproduction in Neotropical breeding birds." This research will be conducted at University of California Berkeley under the sponsorship of Dr. Dustin Rubenstein.Environmental stress in degraded habitats can reduce survival and reproduction in birds living in agroforestry systems such as shade coffee. This occurs because high stress levels reduce physiological defenses against disease and parasites. Environmental stressors in degraded habitats include changes in microhabitat, unpredictable food availability, and higher depredation. This study is examining how physiology, behavior, and human caused changes to the landscape interact to affect the long term survival of birds in agroforestry landscapes. The project is exploring the impact of these stressors, and that of a recently introduced biotic stressor, brood parasitism by the striped cuckoo (Tapera naevia) on survival and reproduction in the rufous-and-white wren (Thryothorus rufalbus). This brood parasite lays its eggs in the nest of a host bird and the cuckoo chick subsequently kills all host chicks. Specifically, this project is evaluating differences in stress levels of rufous-and-white wrens that raise their own chicks or cuckoo chicks in shade coffee and intact forests. The training goals include new laboratory and field techniques in immunology and molecular genetics to investigate the mechanisms and processes that produce population patterns. These skills will aid the Fellow in future plans of working on the conservation of biodiversity in modified landscapes in developing countries. Additionally, the Fellow will serve as a mentor and role model to underrepresented students by offering training and professional development, with an emphasis on collaboration with Latin American countries.