International Research Fellowship Program: Subcatastrophic Floods: Effects on Lotic Ecosystem Structure and Function

国际研究员奖励计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行三到二十四个月的研究。该计划的奖项提供了联合研究的机会，并利用国外独特或互补的设施、专业知识和实验条件。该奖项将为Steven N.Francoeur博士与位于新西兰克赖斯特彻奇的国家水和大气研究所的Barry J.F.Biggs博士合作提供12个月的支持。该中心将就低强度洪水事件对溪流附生植物和无脊椎动物的影响进行现场和实验室联合调查。这项工作的总体目标是1)通过使用时间序列采样和相关分析来发现与低强度洪水事件有关的天然溪流生物群落中的模式，以及2)通过在大型室外人工溪流中进行操纵实验来测试低强度洪水在产生这些模式中的因果作用。他预计，低强度的洪水事件可能会引起与高强度洪水完全不同的生物反应，甚至可能导致生物量或生产力的增加。在新西兰与比格斯博士合作提供了一个理想的环境，因为在一个很小的地理区域内有大量不同洪水状况的溪流，而且他们已经有了用于实验工作的人工溪流设施，此外，比格斯博士领导了一个高生产率的研究团队，专门调查洪水事件在河流生态系统中的作用。

0107360FrancoeurThe International Research Fellow Awards Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will provide 12 months of support to Dr. Steven N. Francoeur to work with Dr. Barry J. F. Biggs at the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research in Christchurch, New Zealand. The PI will conduct coupled field and laboratory investigations of the effects of low-intensity flood events on stream periphyton and invertebrates. The overall objectives of this work are to 1) discover patterns in the biotic communities of natural streams related to low-intensity flood events by using time-series sampling and correlative analyses, and 2) test the causal role of low-intensity floods in generating these patterns by conducting manipulative experiments in large, outdoor artificial streams. He expects that low-intensity flood events may cause quite different biological responses than high-intensity floods, perhaps even resulting in increased biomass or productivity. Working in New Zealand with Dr. Biggs provides an ideal setting because of the great number of streams with differing flood regimes in a small geographical area, and they already have an artificial stream facility for experimental work, plus, Dr. Biggs leads a highly productive research team specializing in investigation of the role of flood events in stream ecosystems.