Collaborative Research: MRA: Elucidating the multi-dimensionality and scaling of avian diversity-vegetation relationships

该项目将研究栖息地结构对生物多样性的影响，即生命形式的多样性。生境结构是指植物和资源在自然群落中的空间排列。这种结构对生物多样性很重要，因为它影响着生物可以生活的地方。该项目的目标是在面临人类影响的情况下有效地规划生态系统的未来。到目前为止，研究集中在栖息地结构的一个小方面--树冠高度--而且只在小空间尺度上进行了研究。但是，生境结构比树冠高度更复杂，当考虑到整个大陆的局部群落时，可能会在更大的空间尺度上发生变化。为了解决这一知识差距，该项目将使用鸟类目击以及从飞机和卫星收集的数据来测试栖息地结构如何影响地方到大陆规模的生物多样性。这项研究的结果将有助于理解人类干扰和自然干扰对生境和生物多样性的影响。该项目将为科学界和教育界提供成果和数据。该项目还将通过培训来自科学领域代表性较低群体的初中生和博士后研究人员，培训一支多元化的生态学研究队伍。该项目将通过探索鸟类多样性的分类和功能方面与从地方到大陆的空间尺度上的三维(3-D)植被结构之间的关系，对鸟类多样性的机制基础--植被关联性--提供新的见解。该项目将在现有研究的基础上，通过认识植被结构的多维性，包括植被的垂直和水平异质性来扩展现有研究。为此，该项目将使用机载和星载光探测和测距(LiDAR)传感器。其次，这项研究将通过探索性状-环境关系来确定中介鸟类多样性与三维植被结构关联的性状。因此，该项目将提供一个基础，以确定持续响应植被结构变化的特征，并可能在面临栖息地修改和丧失的情况下预测鸟类多样性的未来状态。最后，通过探索多个空间尺度，该项目将为生物多样性-植被关系的尺度依赖性提供理论基础。最终，这些发现将对理解环境变化对生物多样性的影响产生影响。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will study the impacts of habitat structure on biodiversity; that is, the variety of forms of life. Habitat structure is the spatial arrangement of plants and resources in natural communities. This structure is important for biodiversity because it affects where organisms can live. The goal of this project is to effectively plan for the future of ecosystems in the face of human impacts. To date, studies have focused on one small aspect of habitat structure—tree canopy height—and have only done studies at small spatial scales. But, habitat structure is more complex than tree canopy height and might change at larger spatial scales when considering local communities up to entire continents. To address this knowledge gap, this project will use bird sightings and data collected from airplanes and satellites to test how habitat structure affects biodiversity at local to continental scales. Findings from this research will help understand the impacts of human disturbance and natural disturbance on habitats and biodiversity. The project will provide results and data for the scientific and educational communities. The project will also train a diverse workforce in ecological research by training middle- and high-schoolers and postdoctoral researchers from groups typically underrepresented in science.This project will provide new insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of avian diversity-vegetation associations through the exploration of the relationships between taxonomic and functional facets of avian diversity and three-dimensional (3-D) vegetation structure across spatial scales from local to continental. This project will expand on existing studies by recognizing the multi-dimensionality of vegetation structure, including both its vertical and horizontal heterogeneity of vegetation. To do so, the project will use air-borne and space-borne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors. Second, this research will identify traits that mediate the associations of avian diversity with 3-D vegetation structure through the exploration of trait-environment relationships. As such, the project will provide a basis for identifying traits that consistently respond to changes in vegetation structure and might hold the strongest potential for predicting future states of avian diversity in the face of habitat modification and loss. Finally, by exploring multiple spatial scales, the project will advance the theoretical foundation of scale dependence in biodiversity-vegetation relationships. Ultimately, the findings will have implications for understanding the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity.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.