U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science: Impact of Introduced Lady Beetles on Prey and Other Predators in Both the Old and New World

0089374Evans该奖项支持犹他州州立大学的Edward Evans教授和日本山形大学的Hironori Yasuda教授之间为期三年的合作研究项目。研究人员将对引进的瓢虫对新旧世界的猎物和其他捕食者的影响进行研究。物种在全球范围内的入侵正在加速，部分原因是人类有目的地引入物种，比如在生物防治实践中。通过对入侵群落生物多样性的影响，物种入侵可能对生态系统功能产生根本后果。多样性往往是生态系统内物种冗余的一种重要的稳定措施，其中单个物种减少的活动被其他物种的补偿反应所抵消。如果先前存在的捕食者被赶到数量减少或灭绝，为加强生物控制而引入的捕食者可能会损害在猎物抑制方面物种冗余的能力。研究人员将特别研究两种入侵的瓢虫(七星瓢虫和异色瓢虫)，这两种瓢虫在它们的故乡日本和犹他州都是共同进化的，在那里它们与北美本土的瓢虫和其他蚜虫捕食者相互作用。他们将试图确定捕食者的组合(无论是长期的和共同进化的，还是新创造的)在多大程度上具有物种冗余的减少猎物的能力。他们还将评估与旧世界瓢虫的建立有关的北美本土瓢虫多样性下降的根本原因和在栖息地，如紫花苜蓿的后果。该项目汇集了两个拥有互补专业知识和研究能力的实验室的努力。这项研究的结果应该使研究人员能够解决入侵昆虫捕食者是否以及如何改变入侵群落中基本的捕食者-猎物关系。这项研究通过研究生的参与促进了国际人力资源的发展。通过思想和技术的交流，这个项目将扩大我们的基础知识基础，促进国际理解与合作。研究人员计划在科学期刊上发表他们的研究成果，并在科学会议上报告这些发现。

0089374EvansThis award supports a three-year collaborative research project between Professor Edward Evans of the Utah State University and Professor Hironori Yasuda of Yamagata University in Japan. The researchers will undertake a study of the impact of introduced lady beetles on prey and other predators in both the old and new world. Species invasions around the globe are accelerating, in part from purposeful introductions by humans as in the practice of biological control. Through effects on biodiversity of invaded communities species invasions may have fundamental consequences for ecosystem functioning. Diversity often provides an important stabilizing measure of species redundancy within ecosystems, wherein reduced activity by a single species is counterbalanced by compensatory responses by other species. Predators introduced to enhance biological control may compromise the capacity for species redundancy in prey suppression if pre-existing predators are driven to low numbers or extinction. The researchers will study two invasive lady beetles in particular (Coccinella septempunctata and Harmonia axyridis) both in their native Japan where they have coevolved with other predators attacking aphids, and in Utah, where they now interact with native North American lady beetles and other aphid predators. They will attempt to determine the degree to which assemblages of predators (either longstanding and coevolved, or newly created are characterized by species redundancy in their capacity to reduce prey. They will also assess the root causes and consequences in habitats such as alfalfa of declining diversity of native lady beetles in North American associated with the establishment of Old World lady beetles. The project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. Results of this research should enable the researchers to address whether and how invasive insect predators may alter basic predator-prey relationships in invaded communities. This research advances international human resources through the participation of graduate students. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. The researchers plan to publish results of their research in scientific journals and report on the findings at scientific meetings.