Collaborative Research: Ecological Engineering by Fishes: The Importance of Biodiversity to Resource Heterogeneity and the Structure of Neotropical Streams

9615620 Vanni本研究的主要前提是，在热带河流中，食沉积物和食藻鱼类和两栖动物是重要的生态工程师，可以在各种空间和时间尺度上产生显着的资源异质性。具体而言，本研究将探讨是否多样的公会的底栖食性鱼类是生态冗余，以及物种身份是否是重要的流社区和生态系统动态，包括资源异质性的产生。本研究的主要目的是集中在生物多样性，物种的身份，和密度的重要性，资源异质性，社区和生态系统动态。一系列实验和观察测试将用于解决这一主要目标。这项研究将提供深入了解生物多样性的结构和功能的溪流社区的重要性。拟议的研究将进一步加深我们对沉积物摄食和食藻鱼类的群落和生态系统作用的认识，并证明这些生物作为生态工程师的能力是否存在显着差异。以沉积物和藻类为食的鱼类是整个南美洲淡水渔业的最重要组成部分，但对它们的生态知之甚少。总的来说，这个项目将扩大我们对热带溪流群落的模式和过程的有限知识。

9615620 Vanni The major premise of this research is that sediment-feeding and algivorous fishes and amphibians are important ecological engineers in tropical streams, and can generate significant resource heterogeneity over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Specifically, this research will examine whether the diverse guild of epibenthic-feeding fishes is ecologically redundant, and whether species identities are important to stream community and ecosystem dynamics including the generation of resource heterogeneity. The main objective of this research focuses on the importance of biodiversity, species identities, and density to resource heterogeneity, community and ecosystem dynamics. A series of experimental and observational tests will be used to address this main objective. This study will provide insight into the importance of biodiversity to the structure and function of stream communities. The proposed research will further our knowledge of community and ecosystem roles of sediment feeding and algivorous fishes, and demonstrate whether these organisms vary significantly in their capacities as ecological engineers. Sediment and algal-feeding fish are among the most important components of the freshwater fisheries throughout South America, yet their ecology is very poorly known. Overall, this project will broaden our limited knowledge of patterns and processes in tropical stream communities.