Scale, Exchange Rates, and the Impact of Predators on Prey Populations in Streams

本研究采用理论和实验两种方法探讨了猎物迁移/迁出率和猎物密度对河流捕食者的影响。观察工作将描述捕食者、鳟鱼、石蝇和猎物（水生昆虫）的大小、差异和重叠。这项研究将指出如何将小规模实验的结果应用于更大的系统，对测试和分析种群或引进物种对自然系统的影响具有重要意义。通过研究资源-消费者的相互作用，以及竞技场大小和移民对自然种群持久性的影响，研究涉及保护生物学和资源管理（例如渔业管理、物种保护）方面的问题。了解顶级捕食者（鳟鱼）对无脊椎动物猎物的影响，进而对猎物食物（藻类）的影响，将表明操纵顶级捕食者控制溪流中藻华的有效性。

This research examines the effects of prey immigration/emigration rates and prey density on stream predators using both theoretical and experimental approaches. Observational work will describe the sizes, differences, and overlap in patches of predators, trout, stoneflies, and prey (aquatic insects). the research will indicate how results of small-scale experiments can be applied to larger systems, with implications for testing and analyzing the impacts of populations or introduced species on natural systems. By examing resources- consumer interactions, and the effects of arena size and immigration on the persistence of natural populations, the research relates to problems in conservation biology and resources management (e.g. fishery management, conservation of species). Knowing the effects of top predators (trout) on invertebrate prey and, in turn, on the prey's food (algae) will indicate the effectiveness of manipulating top predators to control algal blooms in streams.