Mechanisms of Species-Area Relationships in Ozark Glades

更大的面积通常支持更多的物种的观察是物种-面积关系的基础，这是生态学中最古老和最知名的关系之一。虽然这种关系在广泛的地区和许多物种群体中都是正确的，但它通常预测小栖息地应该有比实际存在的更多的物种。在小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根据相对简单的物种面积关系所预期的要少。将建立一个长期的大规模实验，以测试实验恢复的Ozark Glade社区较小栖息地中稀有物种灭绝风险增加的机制。这些岩石露头生态系统中的植物群落将在实验恢复后进行监测，并将密切关注几个稀有物种的人口统计。进一步的实验将测试生物相互作用的重要性，如捕食和互利共生，栖息地的几何形状，以持续的稀有物种，从这项研究的结果将有重要的意义，了解，并试图减轻，从小栖息地的生物多样性损失，特别是稀有物种的损失。这项研究将集中在一个独特的生态系统类型与许多特有物种，并将从事实践恢复生态学家以及公众对附近的公共土地。许多本科生和当地高中实习生将参加这项研究，作为非正式科学教育计划的一部分。此外，这项实验的长期性和大规模性将建立科学基础设施，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.