OCE-PFR Understanding macroalgal community structure: a trait-based and phylogenetic approach

OCE-PFR 了解大型藻类群落结构：基于性状的系统发育方法

• 批准号: 2205604
• 负责人: Martine Wagstaff
• 金额: $ 28.8万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Barbara
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-12-01 至 2024-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2205604&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: OCE; PFR; Understanding; macroalgal; community

Macroalgae forests, such as the giant kelp beds off the Pacific coast of North America, are highly productive ecosystems yet we do not know much about how component algae species perform ecologically, which is necessary to predict how species, or groups of species, might respond to climate change. This is important to understand because climate change has already caused an increase in environmental stressors such as more intense storms, larger waves, increased run-off from terrestrial sources, and changes in temperature, disturbance, nutrient availability, and light levels in coastal habitats in the Santa Barbara Channel and around the world. This study will measure functional traits of algae species, traits that affect an organism’s performance, which can then enable predictions about how species distributions might vary with climate change. For example, suppose toughness is identified as an important functional trait, as wave height and wave force increase with more frequent and powerful winter storms, it could be predicted that algae assemblages might shift from weakly to firmly attached species. As well as being highly productive, macroalgae at temperate latitudes form the basis of food webs and provide habitat for rich ecological communities. It is important that we understand community structure in these key marine ecosystems which provide goods and services for many at the regional and global level.This project will engage undergraduates who will help with field and lab work, conduct honors theses, and receive scientific diver training. Aspects of this project will also inform the LTER Schoolyard program which educates K-12 students and teachers via school visits, field trips, and an on-campus residential program. Additionally, there will be opportunities to share the results of the project via public lecture series held at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum and the Channel Islands National Park. Kelp forests are key marine ecosystems yet the community structure of macroalgae in these assemblages is little understood. By measuring an extensive suite of functional traits of key algae species that span important ecological performance axes—resource acquisition, grazer resistance, and tolerance to disturbance—macroalgae will be assigned to functional groups. Hypotheses can then be tested about how functional groups and community structure vary along an environmental gradient, which, in turn, can then enable predictions to be made about how community structure might vary with climate change induced environmental stressors. Using a molecular phylogeny, it will also be investigated if there is an evolutionary component to the functional groupings and if closely related species have similar functional traits. Results will enable general statements to be made about community structure, general statements being moreuseful than species specific ones. The results will facilitate our understanding of how key ecosystems will respond to climate change and will also bring our understanding of these important primary producers in-line with that of their terrestrial angiosperm counterparts and more recently, marine phytoplankton, where measurements of meaningful traits have enabled predictions to be made about community-level responses to environmental stressors. Indeed, a more holistic understanding of the forces driving these diverse and critical ecosystems is necessary if we are to predict change due to human impacts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

大型藻类森林，如北美太平洋沿岸的巨型海带床，是生产力很高的生态系统，但我们对组成藻类物种的生态表现知之甚少，这对于预测物种或物种群如何应对气候变化是必要的。了解这一点很重要，因为气候变化已经造成了环境压力因素的增加，如更强烈的风暴、更大的波浪、陆地来源的径流增加，以及圣巴巴拉海峡和世界各地沿海栖息地的温度、干扰、营养物质可用性和光照水平的变化。这项研究将测量藻类物种的功能特征，这些特征会影响生物体的表现，从而可以预测物种分布如何随着气候变化而变化。例如，假设韧性被认为是一种重要的功能特征，随着波浪高度和波浪力的增加，冬季风暴更加频繁和强大，可以预测藻类组合可能会从弱附着物种转变为牢固附着物种。温带地区的大型藻类不仅产量高，而且构成了食物网的基础，并为丰富的生态群落提供了栖息地。重要的是，我们必须了解这些在区域和全球一级为许多人提供商品和服务的关键海洋生态系统中的群落结构。该项目将邀请本科生参与实地和实验室工作，撰写荣誉论文，并接受科学潜水训练。这个项目的各个方面也将为LTER校园计划提供信息，该计划通过学校参观、实地考察和校园住宿计划来教育K-12学生和教师。此外，还将有机会通过在圣巴巴拉自然历史博物馆和海峡群岛国家公园举办的公共讲座系列来分享项目的成果。海带林是重要的海洋生态系统，但对这些组合中的大型藻类群落结构了解甚少。通过测量跨越重要生态性能轴（资源获取、食草动物抗性和对干扰的耐受性）的关键藻类物种的广泛功能特征，将大型藻类分配到功能群中。然后可以测试关于功能群和群落结构如何沿着环境梯度变化的假设，这反过来又可以预测群落结构如何随气候变化引起的环境压力而变化。使用分子系统发育，还将研究是否存在功能分组的进化成分，以及是否密切相关的物种具有相似的功能特征。结果将使我们能够对群落结构作出一般性的描述，一般性的描述比特定物种的描述更有用。这些结果将有助于我们理解关键的生态系统将如何应对气候变化，也将使我们对这些重要的初级生产者的理解与陆地被子植物的理解保持一致，最近，海洋浮游植物，其中有意义的特征的测量使我们能够预测社区对环境压力的反应。事实上，如果我们要预测人类影响造成的变化，就必须更全面地了解驱动这些多样化和关键生态系统的力量。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。