Dissertation Enhancement in Japan: Pollinator Loss in an Isolated Population of Primula Seiboldii: Analysis and Intervention

9415227 Thomson该论文增强奖支持纽约州立大学石溪分校的研究生Neal Williams在三年内进行三次日本研究访问，他在生态和进化系James Thomson教授的指导下工作。这是与筑波大学生物科学研究所的和谷泉教授的合作项目。保护稀有植物的尝试通常涉及在动物栖息地周围建立小型自然保护区。原则上，由于传粉媒介的减少，这类植物可能面临繁殖失败的风险。然而，对传粉媒介的研究很少，植物的管理计划也很少考虑传粉媒介的管理。这个项目是日本植物学家和美国蜜蜂生态学家的合作，目的是调查野生原生报春花报春花的这种情况。在东京北部的一个城市保护区，这种植物经历了种子的失败，各种证据表明，这是因为当地的大黄蜂已经从该地区消失了。该项目旨在解决一个特定的问题，并引起环保人士对这些问题及其溶解度的关注。希望该项目能成为本地蜜蜂恢复的示范工程。利用这一特殊机会对于改善世界范围内的保护计划和强调自然界中物种的相互依存非常重要。＊＊＊

9415227 Thomson This dissertation enhancement award supports three research visits in Japan over a three- year period for Neal Williams, a graduate student at the State University of New York at Stonybrook, who works under the direction of Professor James Thomson, Department of Ecology and Evolution. This is a collaborative project with Professor Izumi Washitani, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba. Attempts to conserve rare plants often involve the establishment of small natural reserves surrounded by inimical habitat. In principle, such plants may risk reproductive failure due to the decline of pollinators. However, there have been few if any thorough studies, and management plans for plants seldom consider pollinator management. This project is a collaboration between a Japanese botanist and American bee ecologists to investigate such a situation in a wild native primrose, Primula seiboldii. This plant experiences seed-set failure in an urban reserve north of Tokyo, and a variety of evidence suggests that this is because native bumble bees have disappeared from the area. The project is expected to solve a particular problem and also to draw the attention of conservationists to such problems and their solubility. It is hoped that this project will be come a demonstration project for native bee recovery. Exploiting this special opportunity is important to improving conservation plans worldwide and for emphasizing the interdependence of species in nature. ***