REU Site: Summer Program in Chihuahuan Desert Biodiversity

该REU网站奖授予位于德克萨斯州埃尔帕索的德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校，将在2024年至2026年的夏季为9名学生提供为期10周的培训。预计总共有27名学生将在该项目中接受培训，这些学生主要来自研究机会有限的学校或代表性不足的群体。本报告涵盖了影响奇瓦瓦沙漠生物多样性的生态学和进化领域的重要研究课题。学生们将学习如何进行生物多样性研究，并在研讨会上展示他们的工作成果。该计划的评估将通过在线工具完成。学生应使用NSF ETAP（教育和培训申请）向REU网站申请。奇瓦瓦沙漠被认为是世界上生物多样性最丰富的干旱环境之一，正面临着全球变化的极端影响。了解奇瓦瓦沙漠生物多样性的历史、功能及其面临的变化，对于确定奇瓦瓦沙漠未来生物多样性格局的发展具有重要意义。研究项目将研究影响生物多样性的关键问题，包括生态系统和群落生态学、进化模式和生物行为。在项目开始时，参与者将作为一个队列进行一个简短的实验，然后与他们选择的导师一起研究奇瓦瓦沙漠生物多样性的一个方面，以完成他们的独立项目。目的是让参与者了解奇瓦瓦沙漠生物多样性结构的多个方面。许多研究项目都是基于实地的，包括印第奥山脉研究站和美国农业部-农业研究局乔丹实验范围。所有参与者都将访问这两个实地站点，以了解长期数据集的重要性。总体而言，学生将学习有关沙漠生物多样性基本问题的研究是如何设计、实施和传播的。有关奇瓦瓦沙漠生物多样性REU项目的更多信息，请联系主任（西摩博士）。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。

This REU Site award to the University of Texas at El Paso, located in El Paso, TX, will support the training of 9 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2024- 2026. It is anticipated that a total of 27 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from under-represented groups, will be trained in the program. This REU covers critical research topics in the field of ecology and evolution that influence biodiversity in the Chihuahuan Desert. Students will learn how biodiversity research is conducted, and all will present the results of their work at symposia. Assessment of this program will be done through an online tool. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application).The Chihuahuan Desert is recognized as one of the most biologically diverse arid environments in the world and is facing extreme effects of global change. Understanding the history of Chihuahuan Desert biodiversity, how it functions, and the changes it faces, are important for determining how biodiversity patterns in the Chihuahuan Desert will develop into the future. Research projects will examine critical issues impacting biodiversity including ecosystem and community ecology, evolutionary patterns and organismal behavior. Participants will conduct a short experiment as a cohort at the beginning of the program and then will examine one aspect of Chihuahuan Desert biodiversity for their independent projects with their chosen mentor. The intention is to provide the participants with an understanding of the multiple facets involved in structuring biodiversity in the Chihuahuan Desert. Many of the research projects are field-based including the Indio Mountains Research Station and the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range. All participants will visit both field sites to learn about the importance of long term datasets. Overall, students will learn how research investigating fundamental questions concerning desert biodiversity is designed, conducted, and disseminated. More information about the Chihuahuan Desert Biodiversity REU program is available by contacting the director (Dr. Seymoure).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.