Mammals, Birds, and their Parasites Along an Elevational Gradient in Southeastern Peru

小行星9870191 我们建议扩大正在进行的调查哺乳动物和鸟类在秘鲁的马努公园和生物圈保护区，包括收集和研究其相关的寄生虫。 这些多样但研究不足的生物将通过脊椎动物和无脊椎动物学家的合作进行调查。 在三个领域的季节，我们将采样九个均匀间隔的海拔高度，从400到3600米，使用机会主义采样，以尽可能多的物种在每个海拔。 我们计划的这一部分在很大程度上依赖于我们现场团队的不同方法和丰富的现场经验。 我们亦会采用标准化的抽样方法，以提供各层脊椎动物相对丰度的数据。 在这两个采样程序中获得的脊椎动物将被准备和保存的方式，最大限度地提高其有用性的脊椎动物和寄生虫系统学，地理学和生态学。 通过互联网访问数据库记录将加快脊椎动物和寄生虫研究人员之间以及与外部科学家之间的交流。 美国研究生参与实地，博物馆和实验室工作，这些收藏将为他/她提供关于这些鲜为人知的无脊椎动物群体的独特职业培训。 执行这一项目还将有助于对秘鲁科学家进行重要培训，并有助于可持续地开发其生物多样性资源。 近期成果应包括：（1）新热带区三个亚区脊椎动物及其寄生虫区系的独特而全面的收集;（2）各种寄生虫的许多新种和新属，以及极有可能发现的新哺乳动物和鸟类;（3）脊椎动物和寄生虫的分布、生态和宿主记录的文献;（4）全球重要生物圈保护区内多个群体的基线清单。在一年之内，这些脊椎动物和寄生虫的收集和相关信息将可用于各种衍生研究，包括：（5）寄生虫遗传学和地理学，以及脊椎动物宿主的系统学;（6）海拔多样性梯度和特有区之间的分类一致性;和（7）共同进化关系。

9870191 Patterson We propose to expand on-going surveys of mammals and birds in Peru's Manu Park and Biosphere Reserve to include collection and study of their associated parasites. These diverse but under-studied organisms will be surveyed through a collaboration of vertebrate and invertebrate zoologists. Over three field seasons, we will sample nine evenly-spaced elevations, from 400 to 3600 m, using opportunistic sampling to document as many species as possible at each elevation. This part of our program relies heavily on diverse methodologies and extensive field experience of our field team. We will also employ standardized sampling to provide information on relative abundance of vertebrates at each level. Vertebrates obtained in both sampling programs will be prepared and preserved in ways that maximize their usefulness to both vertebrate and parasite systematics, biogeography, and ecology. Internet access to database records will expedite communication between vertebrate and parasite researchers, as well as with outside scientists. Participation of a US graduate student in field, museum, and laboratory work on these collections will afford him/her unique career training on these poorly known invertebrate groups. Executing this project will also contribute to key training of Peruvian scientists and the sustainable development of their biodiversity resources. Immediate results should include: (1) uniquely comprehensive collections of vertebrates and their parasite faunas from three distinct Neotropical subregions; (2) numerous new species and genera of various parasites, as well as highly probable discoveries of new mammal and bird species; (3) documentation of distributional, ecological, and host records of both vertebrates and parasites; and (4) baseline inventories for multiple groups in a globally significant biosphere reserve. The collections and associated information on both vertebrates and parasites will be available within a year of collection for various deri vative studies, including: (5) parasite phylogenetics and biogeography, as well as systematics of their vertebrate hosts; (6) taxonomic congruence among elevational diversity gradients and regions of endemism; and (7) coevolutionary relationships.