CAREER: Incorporating spatial heterogeneity to study predator biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships within the urban landscape of Cleveland, OH

观测到的全球生物多样性的下降推动了将生物多样性与生态系统功能测量联系起来的研究的迅速发展。例如，通常观察到生态系统中物种总数（或物种丰富度）与其生产力之间存在正相关关系。然而，对物种子集的研究，如捕食者及其猎物的研究，往往不支持这些更普遍的趋势。如果对这种更精细的机制没有更深入的了解，保护捕食者及其相关的生态系统功能是很困难的。本项目将建立大规模的野外实验，研究城市斑块的物种丰富度和空间分布如何共同影响食肉节肢动物识别和捕获猎物的方式。有三个目标。首先是记录斑块和景观异质性如何影响节肢动物饮食重叠，这将被用作资源分配的衡量标准。第二是测试异质性的变化如何影响捕食数量和模式。第三个最终目的是通过关注食肉节肢动物如何在城市斑块中分散，并可能在城市中充当生物防治剂，从而为保护计划和城市管理者提供信息。俄亥俄州的克利夫兰市被选为本研究的模型。克利夫兰有超过10,000个空置的城市地块，该项目的研究活动将在其中的64个空置地块内进行。有关空地管理的决定将在未来几十年塑造城市内社区的生态和社会质量。因此，了解这些栖息地的生物组成，它们如何分布，以及它们如何影响重要的生物类群是一项至关重要的任务。该项目还将为高中生提供实践机会，进行野外生态学研究，并参与新的猎物自助餐计划，同时通过俄亥俄州立大学园艺硕士专业计划学习更可持续的城市园艺和农业实践。

The observed decline in global biodiversity has fueled rapid growth in research linking biodiversity with measurements of ecosystem function. For example, generally positive associations are observed between the total number of species in an ecosystem (or species richness) and its productivity. However, studies that examine subsets of species, such as predators and their prey, often do not support these more general trends. Without greater knowledge of the mechanisms at this finer scale, conservation of predators and their associated ecosystem functions is difficult. This project will establish a large-scale field experiment to examine how the species richness and spatial distributions of urban patches combine to affect how predatory arthropods identify and capture prey. There are three objectives. The first is to document how patch and landscape heterogeneity affect overlap in arthropod diets, which will be used as a measure of resource partitioning. The second is to test how changes in heterogeneity affect predation amounts and patterns. The third is ultimately aimed at informing conservation programs and city managers by focusing on how predator arthropods disperse among urban patches and may serve a function as biocontrol agents in cities. Cleveland, Ohio is the city chosen as the model for this study. Cleveland contains over 10,000 vacant city lots and the research activities of this project will take place within 64 of these vacant parcels. Decisions regarding vacant land management will shape the ecological and social quality of inner-city neighborhoods for decades to come. Therefore, understanding the biological composition of these habitats, how they are distributed, and how they influence important biological groups is a critical task. This project will also provide hands-on opportunities for high school students to conduct field ecology research and become involved in a new Prey Buffet Program, along with learning about more sustainable urban gardening and farming practices though the Ohio State University Master Gardener Specialization Program.