Plant-herbivore-climate interactions in dynamic northern and alpine environments

北部和高山动态环境中植物-草食动物-气候的相互作用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06691
• 负责人: Hik, David
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=614302
• 关键词: Plant; herbivore; climate; interactions; dynamic

Ecologists have long debated how various factors determine when and where predators (top-down forces) or resources (bottom-up forces) or abiotic influences (e.g. weather and climate) will be predominant in different ecosystems. Increasingly it seems that complex trophic interactions can lead to unexpected outcomes, and that external, abiotic forcing can override biotic interactions in strongly seasonal environments.  Being able to better predict the responses of northern and alpine environments to disturbance at different scales is essential for developing viable strategies for conserving biodiversity, restoring degraded habitats, and managing the consequences of climate change. My research program is focused on understanding plant-herbivore-climate interactions in northern alpine environments. The focal study areas for this research program are located in the mountains of the southwest Yukon, in the Ruby Ranges east of Kluane Lake (61° N, 141° W). This proposal further develops several research themes that are integrated into a long-term (since 1995) program, including (1) Evaluation of the demographic, behavioural and physiological responses of alpine herbivores (invertebrates and vertebrates) to inter-annual variation in climate, especially seasonal snow cover; (2) Determination of the effects of resource availability and predation risk on the behaviour and demography of mammalian herbivore populations (pikas, marmots, ground squirrels), as model system for testing the predictions of the trophic exploitation models; (3) Measurement of the responses of alpine vegetation to different levels of natural and experimental herbivory and interannual variation in climate, at physiological, demographic and community levels; (4) Construction of regional models to assess the influence of landscape-level processes (e.g. snow, treeline and shrubline dynamics, etc) on biodiversity and ecosystem processes; and 5) Development of mechanisms for ensuring sustainability of northern and alpine environments, through long-term monitoring, education, outreach, and integration of scientific and community-based knowledge.

长期以来，生态学家一直在争论各种因素如何决定捕食者（自上而下的力量）或资源（自下而上的力量）或非生物影响（例如天气和气候）在不同的生态系统中占主导地位。越来越多的是，复杂的营养相互作用可能会导致意想不到的结果，外部，非生物强迫可以在强烈的季节性环境中覆盖生物相互作用。 能够更好地预测北方和高山环境对不同尺度干扰的反应，对于制定保护生物多样性、恢复退化生境和管理气候变化后果的可行战略至关重要。我的研究项目主要是了解北方高山环境中植物-食草动物-气候的相互作用。这项研究计划的重点研究地区位于育空地区西南部的山区，在克鲁尼湖以东的红宝石山脉（61° N，141° W）。这项建议进一步发展了几个研究主题，这些主题被纳入一个长期的研究计划。（自1995年以来）计划，包括（1）评估高山食草动物的人口统计，行为和生理反应（无脊椎动物和脊椎动物）对气候年际变化，特别是季节性积雪的影响;（2）确定资源可用性和捕食风险对哺乳动物食草动物种群行为和人口统计的影响（3）在生理、人口和群落水平上测量高山植被对不同水平的自然和实验性食草动物和气候年际变化的响应;（4）建立区域模型，以评估森林一级的过程（如雪、树线和灌木线动态等）对生物多样性和生态系统过程的影响;和（5）通过长期监测、教育、推广和综合科学知识和社区知识，建立确保北方和高山环境可持续性的机制。