Ant Diversity Patterns and Conservation Planning in Madagascar

9319515沃德这篇论文增强补助金支持美国研究生布莱恩·费舍尔在加州大学戴维斯分校昆虫学教授菲利普·S·沃德博士的指导下，调查马达加斯加热带森林栖息地蚂蚁的分布和丰度，并将结果与已知的脊椎动物分布模式进行比较。该项目的目的是验证这样一种假设，即昆虫的多样性、地方性和稀有性模式不同于鸟类和哺乳动物，昆虫表现出更大的地点间差异和局部地方性。一个主要目标是开发评估蚂蚁多样性的标准化方法，可用于任何热带潮湿森林。该项目将开发一个关于马达加斯加生物多样性最丰富地区蚂蚁分布的数据库。将在马达加斯加东部热带潮湿森林的五个地点进行海拔高度调查。物种丰富度和丰富度将计算每个地点的每个海拔，并与从现有脊椎动物数据库中提取的数据进行比较。这一信息将使人们能够估计马达加斯加无脊椎动物在现有保护区中受到的保护程度。这项研究将阐明保护生物学的一个基本问题：“‘指示性’分类群真的是指示性的吗？”在项目过程中，马达加斯加的年轻生物学家将接受清点、管理和鉴定技术方面的培训。这项研究是与马达加斯加世界自然基金会和XERCES协会合作进行的。这两个非营利性组织将帮助将收集到的信息传播给马达加斯加的其他科学家、保护生物学家和政府机构，以扩大科学期刊的通常发表渠道。***

9319515 Ward This dissertation enhancement grant supports a U.S. graduate student, Brian Fisher, working under the guidance of Dr. Philip S. Ward, Professor of Entomology at the University of California/Davis,to survey the distribution and abundance of ants in tropical forest habitats in Madagascar, and compare the results to known patterns of vertebrate distribution. The aim of the project is to test the hypothesis that patterns of diversity, endemism and rarity of insects differ from those of birds and mammals, with insects showing greater between-site variation and local endemism. A primary objective is to develop standardized methods of assessing ant diversity that can be used in any tropical wet forest. The project will develop a database regarding the distribution of ants in the most biologically diverse region of Madagascar. Altitudinal ant surveys will be conducted at five sites in the eastern tropical wet forest of Madagascar. Species richness and abundance will be calculated for each elevation at each locality, and compared to those extracted from existing data bases for vertebrates. This information will allow estimates of the degree of protection the Malagasy invertebrate fauna receives in existing reserves. This study will illuminate a question fundamental to conservation biology: "Are 'indicator' taxa really indicators?" In the course of the project, young Malagasy biologists will be trained in inventory, curation and identification techniques. This study is being conducted in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature - Madagascar, and the Xerces Society. Augmenting the usual channels of publication in scientific journals, these two non-profit organizations will assist in diffusing the information collected to other scientists, conservation biologists, and government agencies in Madagascar. ***