BRC-BIO: Investigating ecophysiological strategies and drought tolerance of temperate lianas

BRC-BIO：研究温带藤本植物的生态生理策略和耐旱性

• 批准号: 2233415
• 负责人: Dianne Pater
• 金额: $ 46.47万
• 依托单位: Vassar College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-06-01 至 2026-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2233415&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: BRC; BIO; Investigating; ecophysiological; strategies

The concept of global change encompasses not only the direct alteration of the Earth’s climate and atmosphere, but also other human-driven mechanisms which alter the biosphere. Land transformation, overexploitation of natural populations, and exotic species invasions are driving global changes that impact biodiversity and quality of life. Woody vines, known as lianas, are structural parasites that use the structure of nearby trees to gain access to the sunlit canopy and can cause damage or death to the underlying trees. Understanding how these plants access resources such as light and water can inform strategies to control their spread. This project will compare physiological processes, such as photosynthesis and hydraulics, of invasive and native woody vines to characterize traits that contribute to their successful establishment in forested areas. This research will enhance the research skills of undergraduate students via its integration into a plant physiology class and independent research projects at Vassar College, a primarily undergraduate institution. Students involved in the project will do scientific communication outreach to local schools, allowing the students to improve communication skills and improving access to science and its applications at the K-12 level. Research sites will include identified urban forests of Poughkeepsie, NY to inform restoration and conservation plans in large city and town parks. This project will include presentations to local community groups, as well as city parks and planning departments, to encourage community involvement with invasive species control.Global ecosystems are under pressure from many factors including climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, and biological invasion. As non-native plant species compete with native species for resources, understanding their physiology can improve predictions of competition and environmental responses to inform conservation decisions. Introduced temperate lianas, such as Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelain berry) and Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet), have been identified as invasive species of concern in the eastern United States. Since they require proximity to trees in order to access the canopy, lianas often germinate in the lower light intensities of the forest understory and must respond quickly to available light to maximize growth. Understory light occurs in patches of intermittent duration and varied size, so maintaining photosynthetic assimilation rates and water use efficiency during these sunflecks is essential for success. The objectives of this proposal are three-fold: 1) to compare photosynthetic and morphological characteristics of competing native and non-native lianas under varied light conditions, 2) quantify the growth traits, biomass allocation, anatomy, and hydraulics of the study species, and 3) investigate light acquisition and hydraulic strategies of these plants under water deficit to simulate climate change scenarios. Complementary measurements of photosynthetic assimilation, alongside rapid chlorophyll fluorescence and stomatal conductance measurements, will allow the researchers to characterize several traits, including maximum rates of electron transport and carbon assimilation, conductance of CO2 through the stomata and into the leaf, and non-photochemical quenching. Studies of the plants’ anatomy and hydraulics will improve understanding of the different species’ responses to variable environmental conditions.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.

全球变化的概念不仅包括地球气候和大气层的直接改变，而且还包括改变生物圈的其他人为机制。土地改造、过度开发自然种群和外来物种入侵正在推动影响生物多样性和生活质量的全球变化。木质藤本植物，被称为藤本植物，是一种结构性寄生虫，它们利用附近树木的结构来进入阳光照射的树冠，并可能对下面的树木造成损害或死亡。了解这些植物如何获得光和水等资源可以为控制其传播的策略提供信息。该项目将比较入侵和本地木本藤本植物的光合作用和水力学等生理过程，以确定有助于它们在森林地区成功建立的特征。这项研究将提高本科生的研究技能，通过其整合到植物生理学类和独立的研究项目在瓦萨学院，主要是本科院校。参与该项目的学生将向当地学校进行科学传播推广，使学生能够提高沟通技能，并改善K-12水平的科学及其应用。研究地点将包括纽约州波基普西的城市森林，以告知大型城市和城镇公园的恢复和保护计划。该项目将包括向当地社区团体以及城市公园和规划部门进行介绍，以鼓励社区参与入侵物种控制。全球生态系统受到许多因素的压力，包括气候变化，栖息地丧失和破碎化，以及生物入侵。由于非本地植物物种与本地物种竞争资源，了解它们的生理学可以改善竞争和环境反应的预测，为保护决策提供信息。引进的温带藤本植物，如短梗蛇葡萄（瓷浆果）和南蛇藤（亚洲南蛇藤），已被确定为美国东部的入侵物种。由于它们需要接近树木才能进入树冠层，藤本植物通常在森林下层的低光照强度下发芽，必须迅速对可用的光线做出反应，以最大限度地增长。林下光发生在间歇性的持续时间和不同大小的补丁，所以保持光合同化率和水分利用效率在这些sunflosses是成功的关键。该提案的目标有三个方面：1）在不同光照条件下比较竞争的本地和非本地藤本植物的光合和形态特征，2）量化研究物种的生长性状，生物量分配，解剖学和水力学，以及3）研究水分亏缺下这些植物的光获取和水力策略，以模拟气候变化情景。光合同化的补充测量，以及快速叶绿素荧光和气孔导度测量，将使研究人员能够表征几个特征，包括电子传递和碳同化的最大速率，CO2通过气孔进入叶片的电导，以及非光化学猝灭。对植物解剖学和水力学的研究将提高对不同物种对可变环境条件的反应的理解。该奖项反映了NSF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。