Biodiversity and ecological function of northern terrestrial arthropods

北方陆生节肢动物的生物多样性和生态功能

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04448
• 负责人: Buddle, Christopher
• 金额: $ 2.91万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=761296
• 关键词: Biodiversity; ecological; function; northern; terrestrial

Canada's north is important from social, economic and ecological perspectives. The vitality and wellbeing of northern peoples, the land, and the wildlife is dependent on biodiversity, the variety and variation of species distributed across the country. Biodiversity is dominated insects and spiders and their relatives (the arthropods). These animals contribute in significant ways to the Arctic, whether as food for wildlife, as key pollinators, as predators of smaller animals, or as nuisance pests. Understanding the connections between arthropods, and their functional importance, is essential as we face environmental challenges in the northern, whether by climate change, or northern development. This long-term research program will quantify the biodiversity, trophic structure, and ecological importance of terrestrial insects and spiders living in northern tundra ecosystems. There are four short-term objectives for this research program: (1) descriptive and experimental ecological methods, and molecular approaches, will be used to quantify the feeding links between terrestrial arthropods in a focal study area in the Arctic (Cambridge Bay, Nunavut), and thus build a strong understanding of the `interaction web' among tundra-dwelling insects and spiders. (2) The model system developed from the first objective will be used to assess how the interactions between insects and spiders changes along a critical biome transition in the North - the transition between the northern boreal forest and the sub-arctic habitats found in the Yukon Territory (3) The research will test the functional importance of tundra arthropods in food-webs by experimenting with two model systems: plant-pollinator communities (i.e., dominated by bees and flies) and generalist predator communities (i.e., dominated by spiders). (4) Finally, the research will test the effects of climate change on insects and spiders by constructing climate-chambers in the tundra near Cambridge Bay - this will allow an opportunity to directly assess how warming the tundra affects arthropods. More generally, this research will contribute to understanding the natural history of northern species, and will include outreach, education and knowledge sharing with northern communities This research will train undergraduate and graduate students to become ecologists and entomologists with expertise in biodiversity science, including field work, data management and analysis, and science communication. This program will help develop a mechanistic understanding of what insects and spiders are doing in our tundra habitats. How these small animals are connected to each other, and to other parts our ecosystems, is critically important work, and foundational when we think about conservation of Arctic biodiversity. Only once we work to understand the connections between species can we be positioned to face the challenges ahead for Canada's north.

加拿大北部从社会、经济和生态角度来看都很重要。北方人民、土地和野生动物的生命力和福祉取决于生物多样性，以及分布在全国各地的物种的多样性和变化。生物多样性以昆虫和蜘蛛及其近亲（节肢动物）为主。这些动物对北极的贡献很大，无论是作为野生动物的食物，还是作为主要的传粉者，作为小型动物的捕食者，还是作为令人讨厌的害虫。了解节肢动物之间的联系及其功能的重要性，是必不可少的，因为我们面临的环境挑战，在北方，无论是气候变化，或北方的发展。 这项长期研究计划将量化生活在北方苔原生态系统中的陆生昆虫和蜘蛛的生物多样性、营养结构和生态重要性。本研究方案有四个短期目标：（1）将使用描述性和实验性生态学方法以及分子方法，对北极重点研究区（剑桥湾、努纳武特）陆地节肢动物之间的摄食联系进行量化，从而对冻土层昆虫和蜘蛛之间的“相互作用网”有深入的了解。(2)从第一个目标开发的模型系统将用于评估昆虫和蜘蛛之间的相互作用如何沿着北方关键的生物群落过渡沿着变化-北方北方森林和育空地区发现的亚北极栖息地之间的过渡（3）研究将通过试验两个模型系统来测试苔原节肢动物在食物网中的功能重要性：植物传粉者群落（即，以蜜蜂和苍蝇为主）和多面手捕食者群落（即，由蜘蛛控制）。(4)最后，这项研究将通过在剑桥湾附近的苔原上建造气候室来测试气候变化对昆虫和蜘蛛的影响-这将有机会直接评估苔原变暖对节肢动物的影响。更一般地说，这项研究将有助于了解北方物种的自然历史，并将包括外展，教育和知识共享与北方社区这项研究将培养本科生和研究生成为生态学家和昆虫学家，在生物多样性科学的专业知识，包括实地工作，数据管理和分析，科学交流。这个计划将有助于发展什么昆虫和蜘蛛在我们的苔原栖息地做一个机械的理解。这些小动物如何相互联系，以及如何与我们生态系统的其他部分联系，是至关重要的工作，也是我们考虑保护北极生物多样性的基础。只有我们努力了解物种之间的联系，我们才能面对加拿大北部面临的挑战。