EAGER: Integrating Succession Into Metacommunity Theory: Diversity-Age Relationships Across Temporal and Spatial Scales

本研究试图整合基本的生态概念的演替和metacompatibility生态。演替被定义为群落中物种种类和数量（物种多样性）随时间的变化。后居群是一组相互作用的群落，它们通过多个潜在相互作用物种的个体运动（扩散）而联系在一起。元生态系统研究的重点是物种在当地社区中的扩散在确定跨空间尺度（当地和区域）的物种多样性方面的作用。然而，群落演替阶段的作用，在结构的物种多样性内metacadherities是没有很好的理解。这项研究将调查池塘年龄的作用（即，群落演替阶段）对河狸池塘定栖性群落物种多样性和食物网大小的影响。由于许多海狸池塘基本上恢复生态系统，本研究的结果将是重要的恢复生态学，通过指示如何相关的演替阶段的社会是在恢复过程中。此外，这些发现将有助于决定目前在美国和欧洲广泛存在的海狸重新引入工作的地点和时间。该项目还将为一名博士生和几名本科生提供研究培训。外联活动将使一所农村高中的50名学生受益。PI和一名高中学生教师将开发一个实验室和教学模块，向学生介绍生态演替和海狸干扰。该研究将解决以下问题在不同的演替阶段：1）物种多样性和性状组成更强烈地响应栖息地年龄和当地环境，或在区域尺度上的过程？2)生态系统的年龄会影响食物链的长度吗？如果是，这是区域驱动因素（例如新物种的殖民化）还是地方驱动因素（例如，池塘大小、生产力），还是两者兼而有之？调查员将解决这些问题，通过分析社区和物种性状多样性，环境栖息地特性（水化学，面积，最大深度和流速），性状与环境的关系，以及在重复研究海狸池塘metacrities（流和海狸形成的池塘三个流域）的顶端捕食者的营养位置。

This study seeks to integrate the fundamental ecological concept of succession and metacommunity ecology. Succession is defined as changes over time in the type and number of species (species diversity) present in a community. A metacommunity is a set of interacting communities, which are linked by the movement of individuals (dispersal) of multiple potentially interacting species. Metacommunity studies have focused on the role of species dispersal among local communities in determining species diversity across spatial scales (local and regional). However, the role of the community successional stage in structuring species diversity within metacommunities is not well understood. The study will investigate the role of pond age (i.e., community successional stage) on the species diversity and the size of food webs of metacommunities of beaver ponds. Since many beaver ponds are essentially restored ecosystems, the results of this study will be significant for restoration ecology, by indicating how relevant the successional stage of the community is within the restoration process. In addition, the findings will facilitate decisions about the location and timing of beaver reintroduction efforts that are currently widespread in the US and Europe. This project will also provide research training for one doctoral student and several undergraduate students. The outreach activities will benefit 50 students from a rural high school. The PI and a high school student teacher will develop a laboratory and teaching module to introduce students to ecological succession and beaver disturbance. The study will address the following questions across different successional stages: 1) Does species diversity and trait composition respond more strongly to habitat age and the local environment, or to processes at the regional scale? 2) Does ecosystem age influence food chain length? If so, is this the result of a regional driver (e.g. colonization of new species) or local driver (e.g., pond size, productivity), or both? The investigator will address these questions by analyzing community and species trait diversity, environmental habitat properties (water chemistry, area, maximum depth and flow rate), trait-environment relationships, and the trophic position of apex predators in replicated studies of beaver pond metacommunities (streams and beaver-formed ponds of three watersheds).