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是公认的，但需要更多的研究来了解这些影响的机制，从而了解如何通过管理生物多样性来保护生态功能。 本计画将利用实验室实验来探讨食肉动物与食草动物的相互作用如何决定食草动物的数量，以及食肉动物与食草动物之间的相互作用如何改变捕食和食草动物。 研究人员将操纵墨西哥南部吃咖啡植物的昆虫的多样性和吃咖啡植物的昆虫的多样性，包括食虫蚂蚁的多样性和蚂蚁倾向于其含糖分泌物的食咖啡虫的存在。 该项目将测试这样的假设：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，而只需要较低多样性的捕食者就可以控制较低多样性的食草动物，食肉动物和食草动物之间的相互作用可以减少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广泛影响，并加强国际合作，科学劳动力。 由于咖啡是一种主要作物，该项目使用了在咖啡种植园中实际发现的食草动物和捕食者的组合，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与咖啡种植者之间的良好合作基础上。 研究将有助于培养博士。学生、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调查结果？在植物园和咖啡种植园的谈话。

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.