DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Connectivty and ecosystem function in experimental microcosm landscapes

论文研究：实验微观景观中的连通性和生态系统功能

• 批准号: 1311032
• 负责人: Mathew Leibold
• 金额: $ 1.86万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 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: 2013-04-01 至 2015-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1311032&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Connectivty; ecosystem; function

In nature, ecosystem function varies extensively across space. Some ecosystems are extremely diverse while others support only a few species. Ecological theory suggests that dispersal of individuals across space is critical to the persistence of functional ecosystems and predicts that, at some intermediate level of dispersal, individuals can colonize favorable habitat patches and maintain functional ecosystems. The proposed research will be the first to test these theoretical predictions in complex communities. Researchers will construct communities of micro-organisms in laboratory petri dishes to implement a robust experimental design that includes patches of favorable and unfavorable habitats and that measures multiple ecosystem functions (productivity, respiration, abundance). In these controlled microcosms, the researchers can impose a wide range of dispersal levels. The experiments incorporate the complexity common in natural communities, will test the importance of dispersal and sorting dynamics, and will produce data necessary to revise existing theory.Humans are causing major changes to the movement of organisms across ecosystems. Some ecosystems are declining in connectivity through the fragmentation of habitat, while others are becoming more connected under increased rates of trade and habitat homogenization. Understanding the impacts of these changes on biodiversity and the provisioning of ecosystem services requires the robust testing of ecological theory. In parallel, the research will inform pest control and conservation in agro-ecosystems. The co-PI plans interactive lectures in Austin public schools to link science with management and will train undergraduate students in all aspects of his research. Finally, the experiments are part of a strong international collaboration among eight researchers who study metacommunity ecology from different perspectives.

在自然界，生态系统的功能在不同的空间有很大的不同。一些生态系统极其多样化，而另一些生态系统只支持少数几个物种。生态学理论表明，个体在空间中的分散对功能生态系统的持续至关重要，并预测在一定的分散程度上，个体可以在有利的生境斑块上定居，并维持功能生态系统。这项拟议的研究将首次在复杂的社区中检验这些理论预测。研究人员将在实验室培养皿中构建微生物群落，以实施稳健的实验设计，其中包括一片片有利和不利的栖息地，并衡量多种生态系统功能(生产力、呼吸、丰度)。在这些受控的微观世界中，研究人员可以施加广泛的扩散水平。这些实验包含了自然群落中常见的复杂性，将测试扩散和分类动力学的重要性，并将产生修正现有理论所需的数据。人类正在导致生物在生态系统中的运动发生重大变化。由于栖息地的碎片化，一些生态系统的连通性正在下降，而另一些生态系统在贸易和生境同质化速度增加的情况下变得更加相连。要了解这些变化对生物多样性和提供生态系统服务的影响，需要对生态学理论进行强有力的检验。同时，这项研究将为农业生态系统中的虫害控制和保护提供信息。这位合作者计划在奥斯汀公立学校举办互动讲座，将科学与管理联系起来，并将在他的研究的各个方面培训本科生。最后，这些实验是八名研究人员从不同角度研究元群落生态的强大国际合作的一部分。