LTREB Renewal: Evaluating the Role of Metacommunity Dynamics in the Assembly of Vernal Pool Communities

该项目利用一项长期的、高度重复的原生植物恢复野外实验，研究可持续物种群落如何聚集以及为什么它们会分解。春池是春季泛滥、夏季干燥的临时湿地，代表着离散的、高度多样性的栖息地，适合能够忍受极端物理条件的植物。该项目研究了大小、连通性和播种处理不同的自然形成和修复的池塘，以确定影响当地物种组成的当地和区域因素的相对重要性。在接下来的五年里，所有观察到的物种丰富度、传粉者动态、结实率、发芽率和池塘水文的数据将被整合到数学模型中，以确定对植物物种组成、群落动态和长期稳定性有重大影响的因素。为了有效地恢复和管理自然群落，生态学家必须了解影响它们形成和动态的过程。当恢复的生态系统达到与保护优先事项不匹配的替代状态时，有必要进行积极的管理，以改变控制这些社区的结构和组成的因素。这项实地研究将产生对保护和恢复工作至关重要的数据。这些结果还将减少国防部土地上濒危物种的损失。农村学校的学生将通过设计和实施自己的研究来参与该项目。研究生和本科生还将通过参与拟议的实地研究获得直接的研究经验。

This project leverages a long-term, highly replicated field experiment in native plant restoration to study how sustainable communities of species assemble and why they disassemble. Vernal pools, which are temporary wetlands that are inundated in spring and dry in summer, represent discrete, high diversity habitat patches for plants that are able to tolerate extreme physical conditions. The project examines naturally occurring and restored pools that vary in size, connectivity, and seeding treatment in order to identify the relative importance of local and regional factors affecting local species composition. Over the next five years, data collected on the abundance of all observed species, pollinator dynamics, seed set, germination rates, and pool hydrology will be integrated into mathematical models to determine factors that significantly influence plant species composition, community dynamics, and long-term stability.To restore and manage natural communities effectively, ecologists must understand processes affecting their formation and dynamics. When restored ecosystems reach alternative states that do not match conservation priorities, active management is necessary to modify factors controlling the structure and composition of these communities. This field study will generate data critical to inform conservation and restoration efforts. These results will also mitigate endangered species losses on Department of Defense lands. Rural school students will participate in the project by designing and implementing their own research. Graduate and undergraduate students will also receive direct research experience through participation in the proposed field studies.