Mechanisms of Species-Area Relationships in Ozark Glades

观察到更大的区域通常支持更多的物种，这是物种-区域关系的基础，这是生态学中最古老和最著名的关系之一。尽管这种关系适用于广泛的地区和许多物种群体，但它往往预示着小栖息地的物种数量应该比实际存在的要多。在小型生境中发现的较低的多样性可能是由于这些生境中的稀有物种比基于相对简单的物种区域关系所预期的要少。将建立一项长期的大规模实验，以测试在实验恢复的Ozark Glade社区的较小栖息地中稀有物种灭绝风险增加的机制。在实验恢复后，将监测这些岩石-露头生态系统中的植物群落，并密切关注几种稀有物种的人口统计。其他实验将测试生物相互作用的重要性，如捕食和互惠，以及栖息地几何对稀有物种的持久性。这项研究的结果将对理解和试图减轻小生境生物多样性的丧失，特别是稀有物种的丧失具有重要意义。这项研究将集中在一个具有许多特有物种的独特生态系统类型上，并将参与实践恢复生态学家以及附近公共土地上的公众。作为非正式科学教育项目的一部分，许多本科生和当地高中实习生将参与这项研究。此外，该实验的长期和大规模性质将创造科学基础设施，支持本科生和研究生以及其他机构的研究人员对相关主题的研究。

The observation that larger areas typically support more species is the basis for the species-area relationship, one of the oldest and best known relationships in ecology. Although this relationship holds true across a wide range of areas, and for many groups of species, it often predicts that small habitats should have more species than are actually present. The lower diversity found in small habitats may be a consequence of there being fewer rare species in those habitats than would be expected based on relatively simple species area relationships. A long-term, large-scale experiment will be established to test mechanisms underlying an increased extinction risk of rare species in smaller habitats in experimentally restored Ozark Glade communities. Plant communities in these rocky-outcrop ecosystems will be monitored following experimental restoration, and the demography of several rare species will be followed closely. Additional experiments will test the importance of biotic interactions, such as predation and mutualism, and habitat geometry to the persistence of rare species.Results from this study will have important implications for understanding, and trying to mitigate, biodiversity loss from small habitats, especially loss of rare species. This study will focus on a unique ecosystem type with many endemic species, and will engage practicing restoration ecologists as well as the general public on nearby public lands. Many undergraduate students and local high school interns will participate in the research as part of an informal science education program. Further, the long-term and large-scale nature of this experiment will create scientific infrastructure that will support research on related topics by undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers from other institutions.