DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Aligning ant diversity with conservation priorities in a biodiversity hotspot: Systematics and biogeography of the arboreal ant Crematogaster in Madagascar

论文研究：将蚂蚁多样性与生物多样性热点地区的保护优先事项结合起来：马达加斯加树栖蚂蚁 Crematogaster 的系统学和生物地理学

• 批准号: 1107515
• 负责人: Philip Ward
• 金额: $ 1.38万
• 依托单位: University of California-Davis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-06-01 至 2012-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1107515&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Aligning; ant; diversity

The goal of this project is to investigate species diversity and relationships in a group of ants, Crematogaster, on the island of Madagascar. These are diverse and dominant arboreal ants with a worldwide distribution for which accurate estimates of the number of species are much-needed but notoriously problematic. This study uses morphological and genetic methods to identify species and to describe any new species of these ants in Madagascar and to investigate their relatedness to other members of the group that are found in different geographical regions. Madagascar is one of the world?s biodiversity hotspots, harboring a unique flora and fauna, including the charismatic lemurs and plants such as the Madagascar periwinkle, valued both as an ornamental and a source of anti-cancer drugs. This research contributes significantly to understanding the unique evolutionary history of Malagasy plants and animals and delivers complete distribution records and species estimates that are needed as a basis for all further ecological and conservation measures. Broad dissemination of data is achieved through the development of web-based species identification tools, and through the education of local students and resource management authorities in Madagascar. This study thereby supports ongoing efforts to define areas for the expansion of the protected area network in Madagascar, and further enhances the local research capacity through educational activities.

这个项目的目标是调查物种多样性和关系的一组蚂蚁，火葬，在马达加斯加岛。这些蚂蚁种类繁多，占主导地位，分布在世界各地，对它们的物种数量进行准确估计是非常必要的，但众所周知，这是一个问题。本研究使用形态学和遗传学方法来识别物种，并描述马达加斯加这些蚂蚁的任何新物种，并调查它们与在不同地理区域发现的该组其他成员的相关性。马达加斯加是世界之一？这是一个生物多样性热点地区，拥有独特的植物群和动物群，包括魅力十足的狐猴和马达加斯加长春花等植物，它们既是观赏植物，也是抗癌药物的来源。这项研究对了解马达加斯加动植物的独特进化史有重大贡献，并提供了完整的分布记录和物种估计，这些记录和估计是所有进一步生态和保护措施的基础。通过开发基于网络的物种识别工具，并通过对马达加斯加当地学生和资源管理当局的教育，实现了数据的广泛传播。 因此，这项研究支持目前为确定马达加斯加保护区网络的扩大范围所作的努力，并通过教育活动进一步提高当地的研究能力。