Bryophyte Ecology in Northern Disturbed Ecosystems

北方受干扰生态系统中的苔藓植物生态学

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-06080
• 负责人: Rochefort, Line
• 金额: $ 8.01万
• 依托单位: Université Laval
• 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=763526
• 关键词: Bryophyte; Ecology; Northern; Disturbed; Ecosystems

Since graduate studies, my long-term research program focused on the ecology of Sphagnum species in peatlands, first, as impacted by acid rain (nitrogen deposition) and, lately, understanding their distribution and regeneration niche at early successional stages after disturbance. This topic will remain one main theme of my research programme but other groups of bryophytes such as true mosses (commonly named brown mosses) dominating fens and boreal pioneer upland bryophytes and lichens will also be studied. The general objective of my research program will be to provide essential knowledge about the factors determining the success of establishment of mosses and lichens recolonizing disturbed soils and harsh environments. A focus of study will be on facilitation (how some plants benefit from growing in close association with neighbours) and how this plant-plant interaction relationship can contribute to theoretical plant ecology and improve our predictive ability of successional pathways and trajectory of restoration projects. The program will also address how to use and benefit from mosses and lichens in ecosystem restoration based on an understanding of the factors limiting establishment in spontaneously regenerating sites (post-fire peatlands and abandoned mines) or experimentally in growth chambers, mesocosms in greenhouses (small peatland models) and in field. The effects of water level, nutrient availability, competition, mechanical fragmentation, physiological timing, age of living material and freezing temperature on the establishment of mosses from vegetative fragments will be studied. Specific habitats and disturbances under study will be peatlands degraded by peat extraction exposing acidic or minerotrophic organic soil across Canada (QC, NB and MB); road construction disturbances in alpine uplands in National Parks (QC); ore mining operation disturbances in northern uplands (QC and central BC), fens post-fires (NWT and AB), wetland tundra by herbivory (Nunavut) and Sphagnum peatlands by drainage (QC; simulation of a climate change scenario). For the taxa, emphasis will be given to: 1) main Sphagnum species forming the muskegs of Canada, 2) main true mosses contributing to peat accumulation in fens, 3) pioneer fen species 4) some arctic fen species and 5) some expected biocrust forming moss and lichen species. This research program is the only one in Canada to investigate the functional role of bryophytes and lichens in boreal and arctic non-forested wetlands. The better understanding of those organisms will help towards responsible management a variety of habitats across Canada: cut-over horticultural peatlands, peatlands impacted by oil sands infrastructures, upland habitats impacted by road constructions or mining and arctic tundra wetlands under the stress of herbivory and global warming.

自研究生学习以来，我的长期研究计划重点关注泥炭地泥炭藓物种的生态学，首先是酸雨（氮沉降）的影响，最近是了解它们在干扰后演替早期阶段的分布和再生生态位。这一主题将仍然是我研究计划的一个主题，但也将研究其他苔藓植物类群，例如占主导地位的沼泽的真苔藓（通常称为棕色苔藓）以及北方先锋高地苔藓植物和地衣。我的研究计划的总体目标是提供有关决定苔藓和地衣在受干扰的土壤和恶劣环境中重新定居成功的因素的基本知识。研究的重点将是促进（一些植物如何从与邻居的密切联系中受益）以及这种植物与植物之间的相互作用关系如何有助于理论植物生态学并提高我们对演替途径和恢复项目轨迹的预测能力。 该计划还将讨论如何在生态系统恢复中使用苔藓和地衣并从中受益，其基础是了解限制在自发再生地点（火灾后泥炭地和废弃矿井）或在生长室、温室中生态系统（小型泥炭地模型）和野外建立的限制因素。将研究水位、养分有效性、竞争、机械破碎、生理时间、生物材料年龄和冰冻温度对植物碎片建立苔藓的影响。正在研究的特定栖息地和干扰将是因泥炭开采而退化的泥炭地，暴露出加拿大各地的酸性或营养性有机土壤（QC、NB 和 MB）；国家公园（QC）高山高地的道路施工干扰；北部高地（QC 和 BC 中部）、火后沼泽（西北地区和 AB）、草食性湿地苔原（努纳武特）和排水系统造成的泥炭地（QC；气候变化情景模拟）的矿石开采作业干扰。对于类群，重点将放在：1）形成加拿大麝香的主要泥炭藓物种，2）有助于沼泽泥炭积累的主要真苔藓，3）先驱沼泽物种4）一些北极沼泽物种和5）一些预期形成苔藓和地衣的生物结皮物种。 该研究项目是加拿大唯一一个研究苔藓植物和地衣在北方和北极非森林湿地中的功能作用的项目。更好地了解这些生物将有助于负责任地管理加拿大各地的各种栖息地：砍伐的园艺泥炭地、受油砂基础设施影响的泥炭地、受道路建设或采矿影响的高地栖息地以及食草和全球变暖压力下的北极苔原湿地。