DISERTATION RESEARCH: Effects of global climate change, loss of mega-herbivore biodiversity, and altered fire regimes on savanna grassland ecosystems

论文研究：全球气候变化、大型食草动物生物多样性丧失以及火势变化对稀树草原生态系统的影响

• 批准号: 0909912
• 负责人: Scott Collins
• 金额: $ 1.49万
• 依托单位: University of New Mexico
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-01 至 2011-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0909912&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISERTATION; RESEARCH; Effects; global; climate

Intellectual merit. Humans are altering the environment locally and globally through climate and land use change. Grasslands, which cover approximately one third of terrestrial lands, are ecologically and economically significant, thus their responses to environmental change will have dramatic consequences for productivity, biodiversity, and food production globally. This research consists of two field experiments. The first investigates how changes in the three main drivers of mesic grassland ecosystems - precipitation, grazing, and fire - interact to affect plant community composition, structure, and dynamics in North America (NA, Konza Prairie, KS) and South Africa (SA, Kruger National Park). The comparable experimental designs and identical sampling protocols in both NA and SA will permit generality of findings. The second proposed experiment will assess how small-scale patch structure and dynamics in SA grasslands respond to fire along a grazing utilization gradient. This experiment will provide information to tease apart how fire and grazing intensity alter grass-forb biodiversity in SA. Broader impacts. This research is directly relevant to the long-term management goals of Kruger National Park, which has implemented a scientifically driven management plan built around 'threats of particular concern,' including climate change, fire management, grazing pressure and biodiversity. In addition, this research is broadly applicable to mesic grasslands around the world where fire, grazing and climatic variability interact to affect biodiversity and ecosystem services. All research in Kruger occurs in collaboration with SANParks Scientific Services ensuring close communication between scientists and managers. This research will result in international field experience and collaborative research training for a young female scientist.

智力上的优点。人类正在通过气候和土地利用的变化来改变当地和全球的环境。草原覆盖了约三分之一的陆地，具有重要的生态和经济意义，因此它们对环境变化的反应将对全球生产力、生物多样性和粮食生产产生重大影响。本研究由两个田间试验组成。第一个研究调查了中生草原生态系统的三个主要驱动因素--降水、放牧和火--的变化如何影响北美(北美洲，Konza Prairie，KS)和南非(SA，克鲁格国家公园)的植物群落组成、结构和动态。NA和SA中的可比实验设计和相同的抽样方案将允许研究结果的普遍性。第二个拟议的实验将评估沿放牧利用梯度的南澳草原小规模斑块结构和动态对火的反应。这项实验将提供信息，以梳理火灾和放牧强度如何改变南沙的草丛生物多样性。更广泛的影响。这项研究与克鲁格国家公园的长期管理目标直接相关，克鲁格国家公园实施了一项以科学为导向的管理计划，该计划围绕包括气候变化、火灾管理、放牧压力和生物多样性在内的“特别令人担忧的威胁”而建立。此外，这项研究广泛适用于世界各地的中原草原，在那里，火、放牧和气候变化相互作用，影响生物多样性和生态系统服务。克鲁格的所有研究都是与SANParks科学服务部门合作进行的，确保了科学家和管理人员之间的密切沟通。这项研究将为一位年轻的女科学家带来国际实地经验和合作研究培训。