Independent effects of tropical forest fragmentation and habitat loss on hummingbird movement and pollination dynamics

大多数植物依靠动物成功繁殖。然而，许多植物及其相关传粉媒介正在减少，原因尚不清楚。该项目考察了花粉限制在多大程度上是由于景观破碎化和栖息地丧失造成的传粉者运动减少。由于大多数传粉媒介非常小，栖息地破碎化对它们运动的影响从未被测试过。一项旨在解开热带森林景观连通性、斑块大小和栖息地丧失对植物授粉影响的大规模实验将验证这一想法。这项研究将在热带森林进行；这种森林类型正在迅速减少，热带森林中植物与传粉者的相互作用往往高度专业化。该项目将利用热带蜂鸟的魅力和多样性，向公众传播生物多样性保护和生态系统服务的重要性。结果每年将转移到10,000多名学童和本科生中。俄勒冈州和哥斯达黎加的学生将参加一项以公民为基础的监测工作，以测试景观破碎是否会影响蜂鸟。

Most plant species depend on animals for successful reproduction. However, many plants and their associated pollinators are declining for reasons that are not well known. This project examines the extent to which pollen limitation is due to reduced movements of pollinators caused by landscape fragmentation and habitat loss. Since most pollinators are very small, the effects of habitat fragmentation on their movement has never before been tested. A large-scale experiment designed to disentangle the effects of tropical forest landscape connectivity, patch size, and habitat loss on plant pollination will test this idea. The study will be conducted in a tropical forest; this forest type is declining rapidly and plant-pollinator interactions in tropical forests is often highly specialized.The project will capitalize on the charisma and diversity of tropical hummingbirds to transmit ideas about the importance of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services to the general public. Results will be transferred to over 10,000 school children and undergraduates annually. School children in Oregon and Costa Rica will take part in a citizen-based monitoring effort to test whether landscape fragmentation affects hummingbirds.