Response diversity: elucidating the long sought-after mechanisms underpinning ecosystem stability

JSPS Kakeni研究初创企业助学金奖使我能够开始研究我的回应多样性主题。到目前为止，我已经为即将到来的实验(从2023年6月开始)购买了许多必要的设备，并聘请了一名研究助理来帮助进行实验。具体地说，我已经购买了75个大塑料桶，它们将充当漂浮植物群落的“中隔”，以及维持植物存活和增加氮素胁迫所需的化学物质。我很快就会买一个相机镜头来记录日常照片，以测量植物的生长，并将在当地收集植物，以便下个月开始实验。我的目标是通过实验控制每一个中游植物物种的数量和植物暴露在氮素中的数量。总而言之，这将使我能够测试物种之间的生长速度范围(即这些植物对氮的反应多样性)是否影响它们的时间变异性(稳定性)，这是确保一致的生态系统功能的关键参数。

The JSPS Kakenhi Grant-in-aid for Research Start-up award has allowed me to begin research on my topic of response diversity. I have thus far bought many of the necessary equipment for my upcoming experiment (commencing June 2023) and have hired a research assistant to help with the experiment. Specifically, I have purchased 75 large plastic buckets, which will act as "mesocosms" for floating plant communities, as well as the necessary chemicals to keep the plants alive and to add Nitrogen stress. I will soon purchase a camera lens to keep daily photographs to measure plant growth, and will collect the plants locally to begin the experiment next month. My goal is to experimentally manipulate the number of plant species in each mesocosm and the amount of nitrogen plants are exposed to. Together, this will allow me to test whether the range of growth rates among species (that is, the response diversity of those plants to Nitrogen) affects their temporal variability (stability), which is a vital parameter for ensuring consistent ecosystem functioning.