The macrophysiology of food chain dynamics

食物链动力学的宏观生理学

• 批准号: 1354762
• 负责人: Oswald Schmitz
• 金额: $ 50.93万
• 依托单位: Yale University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-03-01 至 2019-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1354762&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: macrophysiology; food; chain; dynamics

Many of Earth's ecological systems face substantial future warming that could cause loss of species, erode ecological functioning, and jeopardize environmental services that support human livelihoods. Ecological theory predicts that some species may be resilient to warming if individuals in warmer parts of their distribution have already evolved greater tolerance of high temperature and can migrate to cooler parts as they warm. Less clear is whether these immigrants will be able to play the same functional roles as the former residents; if not, ecological functions could still erode. To test this question, this study will study populations of spider predators and insect prey across a temperature gradient similar to the predicted change in global climate. The thermal tolerances of spiders from north to south will be measured, spiders and prey populations will be experimentally transplanted between parts of the regions to mimic the mixing that might occur due to warming and migration, and the differences in functioning between these experimentally mixed communities and existing communities will be tested. The study will thus improve understanding of the potential for evolution to confer the ability to tolerate changes in climate and thereby increase the resiliency of species to environmental change. This project will enhance participation of women and minorities in STEM research in the context of environmental problems. It will also help to train a globally diverse and competitive STEM workforce through coursework and hands-on research experiences in evidence-based, applied environmental science. The research infrastructure will be leveraged to develop New Haven Public School STEM curricula on environmental services, biodiversity, and effects of climate change.

地球上的许多生态系统未来都面临着严重的变暖，这可能会导致物种丧失、生态功能受损，并危及支持人类生计的环境服务。生态理论预测，如果分布在较温暖地区的个体已经进化出对高温的更大耐受性，并且可以在变暖时迁移到较冷的地区，那么某些物种可能对变暖具有抵抗力。不太清楚的是，这些移民是否能够发挥与前居民相同的职能作用；否则，生态功能仍可能受到侵蚀。为了检验这个问题，这项研究将研究蜘蛛捕食者和昆虫猎物的种群，其温度梯度与预测的全球气候变化类似。蜘蛛从北到南的耐热性将被测量，蜘蛛和猎物种群将在部分地区之间进行实验移植，以模拟由于变暖和迁徙而可能发生的混合，并测试这些实验混合群落与现有群落之间的功能差异。因此，这项研究将加深人们对进化潜力的理解，进化赋予了容忍气候变化的能力，从而提高了物种对环境变化的适应能力。该项目将加强妇女和少数族裔在环境问题背景下参与 STEM 研究。它还将通过基于证据的应用环境科学的课程作业和实践研究经验，帮助培养全球多元化和有竞争力的 STEM 劳动力。研究基础设施将用于开发纽黑文公立学校有关环境服务、生物多样性和气候变化影响的 STEM 课程。