RAPID: Ecological Resistance of Multiply Stressed Populations: the response of tidal marsh birds and plants to Hurricane Sandy

所有的动植物种群都会因气候变化而改变。然而，一个人口能够吸收的环境变化量很可能取决于该人口经历的其他、过去和持续的压力。该项目将测试沿海沼泽中本地动植物种群抵御最近极端风暴桑迪的能力在更容易受到过去压力影响的沼泽中是更大还是更小。研究人员将比较风暴前后沼泽动植物的丰富度，并测试在更专业的物种中，还是在被开发包围、被外来植物入侵的沼泽中，或者在受到海平面高上升挑战的沼泽中，脆弱性更大，以及以前对不同类型开发或使用的地区的保护是否有助于降低脆弱性。通过使用当前的生态系统干扰理论来解决这些问题，这项研究将提供关于干扰和压力对本地物种和栖息地影响的一般见解。这项研究还将具体评估飓风桑迪？S对滩涂的影响，滩涂是抵御风暴破坏的重要缓冲。这将有助于管理人员针对特定的沼泽进行保护和恢复，并提高计划中的联邦恢复工作的效率。这项工作还将通过确定哪些类型的沼泽地最容易受到未来的干扰，为未来的沿海管理规划提供信息。研究结果将通过盐沼栖息地和鸟类研究计划向地方、州和联邦合作伙伴传播，盐沼栖息地和鸟类研究计划是一个由大学、非政府组织以及州和联邦机构合作伙伴共同努力保护潮汐沼泽栖息地及其支持的物种的合作联盟(www.tidalmarshBirds.org)。该项目还将帮助培训20名现场技术人员。

All animal and plant populations can weather change. However, the amount of environmental change a population can absorb is likely to depend upon other, past and ongoing stresses that the population experiences. This project will test whether the ability of populations of native plants and animals in coastal marshes to withstand the recent, extreme storm Hurricane Sandy was greater or less in marshes more subject to past stresses. Researchers will compare the abundances of marsh plants and animals before and after the storm and test whether vulnerability was greater in more specialized species or in marshes surrounded by development, invaded by introduced plants, or challenged by high rates of sea-level rise, and whether previous protection of areas from different kinds of development or use helped reduce vulnerability. By addressing these questions using current theories of ecosystem disturbance, the research will provide general insights on the effects of disturbance and stress on native species and habitats. This research also will provide a specific assessment of Hurricane Sandy?s impact on tidal marshes, a vital buffer against storm damage. This will help managers target specific marshes for conservation and restoration and improve the efficiency of planned federal restoration efforts. The work will also inform future coastal management planning by identifying which types of marshes are most vulnerable to future disturbances. Findings will be disseminated to local, state, and federal partners through the Saltmarsh Habitat and Avian Research Program, a cooperative consortium of universities, non-governmental organizations, and state and Federal agency partners working together to conserve tidal marsh habitats and the species they support (www.tidalmarshbirds.org). The project will also help train 20 field technicians.