Collaborative Research: A new paradigm for understanding how leaf litter quality affects stream ecosystems

合作研究：了解落叶质量如何影响河流生态系统的新范例

• 批准号: 1119843
• 负责人: William McDowell
• 金额: $ 7.7万
• 依托单位: University of New Hampshire
• 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: 2011-12-01 至 2015-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1119843&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; new; paradigm; understanding

Leaves are an important food source for organisms living in streams. When leaves fall into streams fungi and bacteria begin to break them down, making them a good food source for insects and fish. Although hundreds of studies show that leaves from different plant species decompose at different rates, the consequences of these differences are not well understood. This project tests if differences among riparian plant species affect pathways of energy flow in stream food webs, with consequences for microbial diversity and transfer of nutrients to insects and fish. In particular, the investigators will test the non-intuitive hypothesis that leaves that decompose more slowly provide a better food source to organisms higher in the food web than quickly decomposing leaves. This work will advance the field by providing a framework for predicting how variation in plants living on stream banks affects major energy pathways in stream food webs. This research is important for managing and restoring streams. Managers spend millions of dollars each year re-vegetating riparian zones but need better information on what to plant and how different trees will affect the health and functioning of streams. This study will provide the information needed to fill this knowledge gap.

叶子是生活在溪流中的生物的重要食物来源。 当叶子掉入溪流时，真菌开始分解它们，使其成为昆虫和鱼类的好食物。 尽管数百种研究表明，不同植物物种的叶子以不同的速度分解，但这些差异的后果尚不清楚。该项目测试河岸植物物种之间的差异是否影响溪流食品网中能量流的途径，这对微生物多样性以及将营养物质转移到昆虫和鱼类的影响。特别是，研究人员将测试不直觉的假设，该假设比迅速分解叶子，为食物网中的生物体提供了更好的食物来源。 这项工作将通过提供一个框架来预测河岸上植物的变化如何影响溪流食品网中的主要能量途径来推进该领域。 这项研究对于管理和恢复流很重要。 管理人员每年花费数百万美元来重新捕捉河岸区，但需要更好的信息，以了解种植什么以及不同树木将如何影响溪流的健康和运作。这项研究将提供填补这一知识差距所需的信息。