Climate Change, community dynamics, and long-distance migratory birds

在一个环境快速变化的时代，自然资源保护主义者、生态学家和资源管理者面临着两个基本问题：(1)哪些物种最容易受到环境变化的影响？(2)什么样的机制能使个体和种群对这些环境变化作出反应，从而避免灭绝？一些野生动物物种每年迁徙数千英里，因此在其生命周期的许多不同部分面临环境变化。因此，这些物种可能特别容易受到环境变化的影响。为了解决这些重要的保护问题，提议的研究将跟踪单个长途候鸟，特别是哈德逊鹬（Limosa haemastica），在它们的整个生命中，从阿拉斯加的繁殖地到智利南部的非繁殖地，使用新型微型跟踪设备和国际合作者团队的地面努力。跟踪单个鸟类的一生将有助于了解不同时期或不同地点发生的变化如何单独或协同影响整个种群成功生存和繁殖的能力。然后，为了帮助保护迁徙物种，如哈德尼哥德威特，并加深与当地社区的接触，该项目将重点与阿拉斯加农村地区的当地学校和已建立的教育媒体制作人合作开发K12课程，通过举办在线科学研讨会促进国际合作，并修改现有的保护计划，以纳入最新发现。全球环境的变化促使我的人类活动多样化和无处不在。野生动物物种每年迁徙数千英里，因此在其生命周期的许多不同部分面临环境变化。因此，这些物种种群可能特别容易受到环境变化的影响。本研究将利用自2009年以来在阿拉斯加白鲸河（Beluga River）维持的一个研究地点，来解决在整个生命周期中作用的生物和非生物压力的同时影响，这是一种长寿的长途候鸟，Hudsonian Godwit （Limosa haemastica）。在它们从智利南部迁徙到阿拉斯加的过程中，它们全年都面临着多种不同的、潜在的协同作用的环境变化。在这项研究中，个体层面上的信息将与种群层面上的信息相结合，这些信息将与godwit幼鸟如何被迫在觅食和安全之间进行权衡相结合，以帮助对godwit在整个年度周期中应对未来环境变化的能力进行物种层面的评估。因此，这个项目的结果不仅有可能阐明迁徙生态学中长期存在的问题，而且有可能阐明关于个体、种群和物种如何能够应对环境变化的基本问题。该项目的最终目标是提供关键的、广泛适用的信息，为评估物种对未来全球变化的脆弱性提供信息。PI将与USFWS合作，就物种的脆弱性提供建议，并与当地村民合作，教育和让当地公民参与保护和管理。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。

In an era of rapid environmental change, conservationists, ecologists and resource managers are faced with two fundamental questions: (1) Which species are most vulnerable to environmental change? and, (2) What mechanisms will enable individuals and populations to respond to these environmental changes and thus avoid extinction? Some wildlife species migrate thousands of miles each year and thus face environmental changes in many different parts of their life cycle. These species may thus be especially susceptible to environmental change. To address these important conservation questions, the proposed research will follow individual long-distance migratory birds, in particular Hudsonian Godwits (Limosa haemastica), throughout their entire lives, from their breeding grounds in Alaska to their nonbreeding grounds in southern Chile using novel miniaturized tracking devices and on-the-ground efforts by an international team of collaborators. Following individual birds throughout their lives will provide insights into how changes occurring during different time periods or in different locations may act separately or synergistically to influence the ability of entire populations to successfully survive and reproduce. Then, to aid the conservation of migratory species such as Hudsonian Godwits and deepen engagement with local communities, this project will focus on developing K12 curricula in collaboration with local schools in rural Alaska and established educational media producers, facilitating international collaborations by holding online scientific symposia, and revising existing conservation plans to incorporate recent findings. Global environmental changes driven my human activities are diverse and ubiquitous. Wildlife species migrate thousands of miles each year thus face environmental changes in many different parts of their life cycle. These species populations may thus be especially vulnerable to environmental change. This study will utilize a study site that has been maintained since 2009 in Beluga River, Alaska, to address the simultaneous effects of biotic and abiotic pressures acting throughout the life cycle of the long-lived, long-distance migratory bird, the Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica). Godwits face multiple separate, and potentially synergistic, environmental changes throughout the year as they migrate from southern Chile to Alaska. In this study, individual-level information on the ability of godwits to alter their migration timing over the course of their lives will be coupled with population-level information about how godwit chicks may be forced to trade off foraging and safety to help inform a species-level assessment of how well godwits will be able to respond to future environmental changes occurring throughout their annual cycle. As a consequence, this project’s results have the potential to illuminate not only long-held questions in migration ecology, but fundamental questions about how individuals, populations, and species are able to respond to environmental change. Ultimately, the project’s aim is to provide critical, broadly applicable information to inform assessments of species’ vulnerability to future global change. The PI will work with the USFWS to advice on species vulnerability and with local villagers to educate and engage local citizens in conservation and management.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.