Quantifying the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services by dung beetles

我的研究项目旨在了解昆虫支持的生态系统服务的重要性和脆弱性。生态系统服务被定义为人类从生态系统中获得的直接或间接支持其生活质量的有益功能和商品。昆虫支持的许多生态系统服务（如授粉、害虫调控和养分循环）在农业生态系统中具有核心重要性。环境压力因素，如暴露于杀虫剂或极端温度，可以通过对昆虫在个体、种群或社区层面的影响来影响这些生态系统服务的提供。蜣螂是一个很好的模型系统，可以在每个层面上探索这些后果。大多数蜣螂主要以哺乳动物的粪便为食，并以粪便中富含微生物的液体部分为食。屎壳郎提供的生态系统服务（包括：阻断寄生虫传播、提高初级生产力和减少温室气体排放）与屎壳郎物种的筑巢习惯密切相关。屎壳郎的筑巢习性受到生物特征（如体型）、非生物因素（如温度波动）和生物相互作用（如捕食者的存在/缺失）的影响。我的研究计划的前五年将采用实验室、生态系统和实地实验相结合的方法，确定由屎壳郎支持的生态系统服务的重要性和脆弱性。我的方法将集中在三个相互关联的目标上：农业和森林生境之间生态系统服务交换的量化确定地方尺度的环境质量如何影响性状变异和生态系统服务提供通过所描述的研究产生的知识将解决理解昆虫生物多样性与生态系统服务之间联系的基本问题。由于蜣螂在自然和人工管理的景观中提供了广泛的生态系统服务，因此本研究项目产生的知识也将对农业生态系统的可持续管理具有很强的适用性。

My research program aims to understand the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services supported by insects. Ecosystem services are defined as the beneficial functions and goods that humans derive from ecosystems that directly or indirectly support their quality of life. Many ecosystem services supported by insects (such as pollination, pest regulation, and nutrient cycling) have a central importance within agroecosystems. Environmental stressors such as exposure to pesticides, or temperature extremes can affect the delivery of these ecosystem services through effects on insects experienced at the individual, population, or community level. Dung beetles are an excellent model system to explore these consequences across each of these levels. Most dung beetles are largely coprophagous on the dung of mammals, and feed on the microorganism-rich liquid fraction of dung. Ecosystem services provided by dung beetles (which include: disrupting parasite transmission, improving primary productivity, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions) are strongly tied to the nesting habits of dung beetle species. The nesting habits of dung beetles are influenced by biological traits (e.g. body-size), abiotic factors (e.g. temperature fluctuations), and biotic interactions (e.g. presence/absence of predators). Using a combined approach of laboratory, mesocosm, and field experiments - the first five years of my research program will identify the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services supported by dung beetles. My approach will focus on three interrelated objectives: Objective 1. Quantifying exchange of ecosystem services between agricultural and forested habitats Objective 2. Determining how local-scale environmental quality affects trait variation and ecosystem service provision Objective 3. Bridging laboratory and field experiments to understand the ecological relevance of ivermectin-induced hormesis within dung beetles Knowledge generated through the research described will address fundamental questions in understanding the linkages between insect biodiversity and ecosystem services. As dung beetles provide a wide breadth of ecosystem services in natural and managed landscapes, knowledge generated from this research program will also have strong applicability to the sustainable management of agroecosystems.