DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Causes and consequences of biodiversity in coffee agriculture

虽然物种多样性对生态系统功能的影响已经得到了广泛的认识，但如何通过生物多样性的管理来保护生态系统的功能还需要进一步的研究。本项目将通过实验室实验来研究食肉动物和食草动物的多样性如何相互作用来决定食草动物的数量，以及食肉动物和食草动物之间的相互作用如何改变捕食和食草动物。研究人员将对墨西哥南部以咖啡树为食的昆虫的多样性和以咖啡树为食的昆虫的多样性进行研究，包括食虫蚂蚁的多样性和一种食咖啡的虫子的存在，蚂蚁喜欢这种虫子是因为它分泌的糖。该项目将验证以下假设：更多样化的捕食者组合可以更好地控制食草动物的多样性，而低多样性的食草动物只需要低多样性的捕食者就可以控制低多样性的食草动物；食肉动物和食草动物之间的共生关系会降低食肉动物多样性对食草动物的控制作用。该项目将对农业产生重要的更广泛的影响，并加强国际合作和科学劳动力。由于咖啡是一种主要作物，该项目使用了咖啡种植园中发现的食草动物和食肉动物的组合，结果将立即应用于作物生产。这项工作建立在美国和墨西哥研究人员以及咖啡种植者之间良好的合作基础上。研究将有助于培养博士生、本科生和当地研究助理。计划通过密歇根大学的展览向公众传播研究结果。在美国植物园和咖啡种植园的演讲。

Although it is well established that species diversity affects the function of ecological systems, more research is needed to understand the mechanisms responsible for these effects and thus how to conserve ecological function through the management of biodiversity. This project will use laboratory experiments to investigate how the diversities of carnivores and herbivores interact to determine amount of herbivory, and how mutualisms between carnivores and herbivores can modify both predation and herbivory. Researchers will manipulate diversities of insects that eat coffee plants in southern Mexico and diversities of insects that eat them, including diversity of insect-eating ants and presence of a coffee-eating bug that ants tend for its sugary secretion. The project will test the hypotheses that diverse assemblages of herbivores are better controlled by more diverse assemblages of predators whereas only a low diversity of predators is needed to control a low diversity of herbivores, and that mutualisms between carnivores and herbivores can reduce the function of carnivore diversity as a control on herbivory.The project will have important broader impacts on agriculture and strengthen international collaboration and the scientific workforce. Because coffee is a major crop and the project uses combinations of herbivores and predators actually found in coffee plantations, results will have immediate applications to crop production. The work builds upon a well-developed collaboration between U.S. and Mexican researchers and coffee growers. Research will help train a Ph.D. student, undergraduates, and local research assistants. Public dissemination of findings is planned through a display at the University of Michigan?s Botanical Gardens and talks at coffee plantations.