How Environment, Physiology and Life History Interact to Determine Pattern in Animal Migration

环境、生理学和生活史如何相互作用来确定动物迁徙的模式

• 批准号: 1258062
• 负责人: James Gibbs
• 金额: $ 60万
• 依托单位: SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-03-01 至 2018-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1258062&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: How; Environment; Physiology; Life; History

Animal migration is perhaps the most spectacular ecological phenomenon on Earth. Be it tiny Arctic terns navigating annually between the poles, or millions of wildebeest doggedly traversing the Serengeti plains of Africa, migration captures the imagination of people like few other biological events. Yet despite its ecological importance and cultural significance, the science of migration remains poorly understood. Even basic questions about why, when, where, who and how animals migrate are largely unanswered. Why, for example, would a 600 pound giant tortoise -- a large reptile that can easily survive for a year or more without food or water -- migrate seasonally up and down the lava strewn volcanic slopes of the Galapagos Islands? Why is it that only adults migrate? And why do tortoises on some islands barely move at all? Giant tortoises represent a tractable "model" for understanding animal migration because many distinct species have evolved under very different environmental conditions within a small geographical area. In this project, a suite of research methods, including GPS telemetry of both young and adults will be used to track Galapagos tortoise movements. Tortoise health, including exposure to infectious diseases, parasite infection and stress levels, will be studied through blood and dung samples, while traditional field work will measure reproductive success of migratory versus non-migratory individuals. This project will answer some of the fundamental questions underpinning movement ecology in all animals, not just giant tortoises. In a world that is rapidly changing due to human activities, understanding animal migration is key to predicting which animals will be most affected and devising management plans for them. Because migratory animals can be important vectors of diseases that impact humans and agriculture, the significance of this work extends beyond wildlife. Finally, all results will be packaged into an exciting outreach program with the aim of inspiring and educating children in both Galapagos and the USA toward a stronger appreciation of ecological sciences and strategies of conservation.

动物迁徙也许是地球上最壮观的生态现象。无论是每年在两极之间航行的北极小燕鸥，还是顽强地穿越非洲塞伦盖蒂平原的数百万只角马，迁徙都像其他生物事件一样吸引着人们的想象力。然而，尽管移民科学具有重要的生态意义和文化意义，但人们对它仍然知之甚少。 即使是关于动物为什么、何时、何地、谁以及如何迁徙的基本问题也基本上没有答案。例如，为什么一只 600 磅重的巨龟（一种在没有食物或水的情况下可以轻松生存一年或更长时间的大型爬行动物）会在加拉帕戈斯群岛布满熔岩的火山斜坡上季节性地上下迁徙？为什么只有成年人才迁徙？为什么有些岛屿上的乌龟几乎一动不动？巨龟代表了理解动物迁徙的一个易于处理的“模型”，因为许多不同的物种是在一个小地理区域内非常不同的环境条件下进化的。在这个项目中，将使用一套研究方法，包括年轻人和成年人的 GPS 遥测技术来跟踪加拉帕戈斯象龟的运动。将通过血液和粪便样本研究陆龟的健康状况，包括接触传染病、寄生虫感染和压力水平，而传统的实地工作将衡量迁徙个体与非迁徙个体的繁殖成功率。该项目将回答支持所有动物（而不仅仅是巨龟）运动生态学的一些基本问题。 在一个因人类活动而迅速变化的世界中，了解动物迁徙是预测哪些动物将受到最严重影响并为其制定管理计划的关键。 由于迁徙动物可能是影响人类和农业的疾病的重要媒介，因此这项工作的意义不仅限于野生动物。最后，所有结果将被打包成一个令人兴奋的外展计划，旨在激励和教育加拉帕戈斯和美国的儿童，使他们更加了解生态科学和保护策略。