Dissertation Research: Island Biogeography Theory and Restoration: The Role of Tree Islands as Regeneration Foci in the Rehabilitation of Abandoned Pastures in Honduras.

这个项目涉及与生态恢复有关的岛屿生物地理学理论方面。该研究将评估更大的岛屿面积和/或距离种子源更近的距离是否会增加废弃牧场“海洋”中木本物种的种子招募、幼苗建立和随后的岛屿扩张速度。人工树岛将通过种植两种（一种固定氮，另一种不固定氮）的木屑来制造。将评估这两个物种作为岛屿“再生焦点”的相对能力。此外，为了评价两种人工岛处理对更新过程的影响，将与其他三种生境：开放牧场、残岛和次生林进行比较。这项研究将有助于测试一个有理论基础的、可能普遍适用的模型，以加速热带地区普遍存在的退化牧场的演替。

0071811AugspurgerThis project addresses aspects of island biogeography theory in relation to ecological restoration. The research will evaluate whether larger island size and/or shorter distance from seed source increase the rate of seed recruitment, seedling establishment, and subsequent island expansion of woody species in a "sea" of abandoned pasture. Artificial tree islands will be created by planting woody cuttings of two species (one that fixes nitrogen and one that does not fix nitrogen). The two species will be evaluated for their relative ability to serve as island "regeneration foci". In addition, to evaluate the efficacy of the two artificial island treatments on regeneration processes, comparisons will be made to three other habitats: open pasture, remnant islands, and secondary forest. This study will contribute a test of a theoretically based and possibly universally applicable model for accelerating succession in degraded pastures that have become widespread in tropical regions.