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，物种-区域关系是生态学中最古老和最知名的关系之一。尽管这种关系在广泛的地区和许多物种群体中都适用，但它经常预测，小型栖息地的物种应该比实际存在的物种更多。在小型生境中发现的多样性较低，可能是因为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。将建立一项长期、大规模的实验，以测试在经过实验恢复的Ozark Glade群落的较小栖息地中稀有物种灭绝风险增加的机制。在试验性恢复之后，将对这些露出岩石的生态系统中的植物群落进行监测，并将密切关注几个稀有物种的人口统计学。其他实验将测试生物相互作用，如捕食和互惠，以及栖息地几何形状对稀有物种持续生存的重要性。这项研究的结果将对理解和试图减轻小型栖息地造成的生物多样性损失，特别是稀有物种的损失具有重要意义。这项研究将聚焦于一种独特的生态系统类型，拥有许多特有物种，并将吸引从事恢复工作的生态学家以及附近公共土地上的普通公众。作为非正式科学教育计划的一部分，许多本科生和当地高中实习生将参与这项研究。此外，这项实验的长期和大规模性质将创建科学基础设施，支持本科生和研究生以及其他机构的研究人员进行相关主题的研究。

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.