DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Causes and consequences of biodiversity in coffee agriculture

虽然物种多样性影响生态系统的功能已被公认，但还需要更多的研究来了解造成这些影响的机制，从而了解如何通过管理生物多样性来保护生态功能。这个项目将使用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确定食草动物的数量，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行为。研究人员将操纵墨西哥南部以咖啡树为食的昆虫的多样性，以及以咖啡树为食的昆虫的多样性，包括食虫蚂蚁的多样性，以及蚂蚁倾向于分泌糖分的一种吃咖啡的昆虫的存在。该项目将检验以下假设：更多不同的捕食者组合能更好地控制不同的食草动物群体，而只需要低多样性的捕食者来控制低多样性的草食性动物，以及肉食性动物和草食性动物之间的相互作用会降低食肉动物多样性控制草食性的功能。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工作者。由于咖啡是一种主要作物，而且该项目使用了实际上在咖啡种植园中发现的食草动物和捕食者的组合，因此研究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与咖啡种植者之间发展良好的合作基础上。研究将帮助培养一名博士生、本科生和当地的研究助理。研究结果的公开传播计划通过在密歇根大学S植物园的展示和在咖啡种植园的演讲来进行。

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.