RUI Collaborative Research: Inquiline Communities in Changeable Pitchers: Do Nutrients Link Community Assembly to Dynamic Habitats

PIS：Gotali，N.J.和A.M.Ellison机构：佛蒙特州大学和Mt.霍利约克学院的提案编号：Deb-9808504和9805722关于群落聚集的理论将通过研究北部猪笼草和生活在其中的有机体来扩展。这项工作将在进行田间和实验室实验的同时，开发栖息在猪笼草中的Quililine生物体的模型，以阐明驱动群落定居、持久性、生长和动态的因素，特别是与植物内营养动态有关的因素。这项工作将概述Quiniline群落与其寄主猪笼草之间的联系。对不同的奎尼林群落的植物性能的考虑将在先前强调这些协会的动物成分的努力的基础上进行扩展。单个叶片上的马尔科夫模型将与猪笼草生长的矩阵模型相结合，以评估植物的总体生长以及N和P限制在这些沼泽生境中的作用。更广泛地说，收集到的数据将使动态生境中群落聚集的数学模型的开发、改进和测试成为可能。这种模式将整合广泛的生态特征，最终将适用于不同的群落组合。

PIs: Gotelli, N.J., and A.M. Ellison Institutions: University of Vermont and Mt. Holyoke College Proposal Numbers: DEB - 9808504 & 9805722 Theories of community assembly will be expanded by examining northern pitcher plants and the organisms that live within them. This work will develop models of the inquiline organisms that inhabit pitchers while conducting field and laboratory experiments to elucidate the factors driving community colonization, persistence, growth, and dynamics particularly as related to in-plant nutrient dynamics. This work will provide an overview of the linkages between inquiline communities and their host pitcher plants. Considerations of plant performance with different inquiline communities will expand upon previous efforts that have emphasized the animal component of these associations. Markovian models on individual leaves will be combined with matrix models of pitcher-plant growth to assess overall plant growth and the roles of N and P limitation in these bog habitats. More generally, the data gathered will enable the development, refinement, and testing of a mathematical model of community assembly in dynamic habitats. This model will integrate a broad range of ecological features and will eventually be applicable to a diversity of community assemblages.