CREST - Center for Tropical Applied Ecology and Conservation at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras

CREST应用生态与保护中心旨在创造一个多学科小组共同努力解决新热带地区面临的复杂环境问题的研究环境。该中心的主要目标是利用我们在加勒比地区的独特地位以及与中美洲和南美洲的紧密联系，成为应用热带生态学和保护的主要研究中心。为了实现这一目标，我们将促进从基因到景观等多层次生物组织的综合研究项目。具体来说，该中心将1)提高我们的教师在应用生态学和保护领域的研究效率，2)加强我们的本科生和研究生对研究活动的参与，3)扩大大学的研究基础设施，4)促进波多黎各科学家之间的长期研究合作，以及与国家和国际政府和学术机构的合作。5)确保CREST资助期结束后继续提供资金。中心的研究活动将集中在生物组织的四个层面：个体及其基因、种群、生态系统和景观。分子生态学、进化和遗传学研究（MEEG）小组将把高分辨率分子标记与野外生态研究结合起来，解决有关交配系统、繁殖成功和濒危或碎片化种群的种群生物学的关键问题。物种种群管理（SPM）小组将重点关注外来物种对加勒比岛屿本地动植物的影响。最初，SPM小组将把研究工作集中在两个重点项目上，重点是全球相关的生物引进：引进野生有蹄类动物和非洲化蜜蜂。景观生态学组（LEG）的研究将探讨物种对景观变化的差异反应。该小组将首先使用两种动物组合，加勒比青蛙和安第斯鸟类，来研究体型如何在大尺度上反映生态系统的时空不连续性（结构不连续性假设）。最后，生态系统过程小组（EPG）对CREST中心的未来发展至关重要。该小组将随着中心新教员的加入而成立。他们的研究最初将由波多黎各大学的配套基金资助，但在第4年和第5年，他们将从CREST中心获得全额资助。中心将采取一系列具体措施，促进跨学科合作，确保研究效率。将有双月科学会议和年度中心会议，邀请中心发言人。这些会议旨在鼓励小组成员的生产力，并促进小组内部以及与其他机构的研究人员的互动和合作。此外，中心主任将创造一个有利于生产高质量研究和培训的研究环境。主任将与copi、行政助理和系统管理员召开季度会议，讨论与中心有关的后勤、行政和财务问题。参与者应达到项目里程碑，每年发表一至两篇同行评审的手稿，并在项目期间至少包括两名研究生和两名本科生。在第4年和第5年，将减少对首批copi的资助，并转移给新教员。一个外部科学顾问小组将监督所有中心研究人员的进展。在CREST资金到期后，该中心的延续是该项目的一个关键目标。为了实现这一目标，主任和copi将在初始资助周期内建立的研究和合作基础上申请外部资助。波多黎各大学的管理部门也通过返还通过该中心提交的所有赠款的18.75%的管理费用，表明了他们对该中心继续运作的承诺。中心的最终目标是培养在应用生态和保护领域具有较强教育和研究经验的新一代科学家，并将大学的研究活动与社会需求更好地结合起来。

The CREST Center for Applied Ecology and Conservation is designed to create a research environment where multidisciplinary groups work together to solve the complex environmental problems facing the Neotropics. The major goal of the Center is to utilize our unique position within the Caribbean and strongties with Central and South America to become a dominant research center in applied tropical ecology and conservation. To achieve this goal, we will promote research programs that synthesize multiple levels of biological organization, from genes to landscapes. Specifically, the Center will 1) increase the research productivity of our faculty in the field in applied ecology and conservation, 2) strengthen the participation of our undergraduate and graduate students in research activities, 3) expand the research infrastructure of the University, 4) foster long-term research collaborations among scientists within Puerto Rico and with national and international government and academic institutions, and 5) ensure that funding continues after the CREST funding period.The research activities of the Center will focus on four levels of biological organization: individuals and their genes, populations, ecosystems, and landscapes. Research in Molecular Ecology, Evolution, and Genetics (MEEG) group will integrate high-definition molecular markers with field ecological research to address key questions about the mating systems, reproductive success, and population biology of endangered or fragmented populations. The Species Population Management (SPM) group will focus on the impact of exotic species on the native flora and fauna of Caribbean islands. Initially the SPM group will concentrate research efforts on two key projects that focus on biological introductions of global relevance: introduced feral ungulates and Africanized bees. Research in the Landscape Ecology Group (LEG) will investigate the differential responses of species to landscape variation. The group will initially use two animal assemblages, Caribbean frogs and Andean birds, to examine how body size reflects spatial and temporal discontinuities in ecosystems at large-scales (textural discontinuity hypothesis). Finally, critical to the future development of the CREST Center is an Ecosystem Processes Group (EPG). This group will be established with the addition of new Center faculty members. Their research will initially be funded through University of Puerto Rico matching funds but in year 4 and 5 they will receive full funding through the CREST Center. The Center will take a series of concrete steps to foster cross-disciplinary collaborations and ensure research productivity. There will be bi-monthly scientific meetings and a yearly Center conference with invited and Center speakers. These meetings are designed to encourage group member productivity, and stimulate interactions and collaborations within the group and with researchers from other institutions. In addition, the Center director will create a research environment conducive to the production of high quality research and training. The director will hold quarterly meetings with the CoPIs, administrative assistant, and system administrator to discuss logistic, administrative and financial issues related to the Center. Participants are expected to meet project milestones, publish one to two peer-reviewed manuscripts per year, and incorporate at least two graduate and two undergraduate students during the period of the project. Funding for the initial group of CoPIs will be reduced in years 4 and 5, and shifted to new faculty members. An external scientific advisory panel will monitor progress of all Centerresearchers. The continuation of the Center, after CREST funding expires, is a key goal of this project. To realize this goal, the director and CoPIs will apply for external funding that builds on research and collaborations established during the initial funding cycle. The administration of the University of Puerto Rico has alsodemonstrated their commitment to the continuation of the Center by returning 18.75% of overhead on all grants submitted through the Center. The ultimate goal of the Center is to train a new generation of scientists with strong education and research experience in applied ecology and conservation, and to better integrate university research activities with societal needs.