CRB: The Role of Seed Limitation, Resource Competition, and Community Complementarity in Invasions and Restorations

这个项目将研究一种特殊技术在恢复加州本土多年生草原方面的效果。外来物种的入侵是对全球生物多样性最严重的威胁之一，恢复是减少损失的关键工具。在加利福尼亚州，来自地中海地区的外来一年生植物入侵了920万公顷的原生多年生草地，伴随着原生植物生物多样性的丧失，并改变了生物地球化学过程，包括增加硝酸盐淋失，改变了火灾制度，减少了碳储量。本研究将利用实验，重点研究潜在的生态过程，特别是种子限制和改变的生态系统过程，这些过程可能促进和维持原生生境的转换。结果的普遍性将通过在加利福尼亚州内广泛的纬度和栖息地进行实验来确定。研究结果可广泛应用于发生过类似原生生境改变的许多其他环境，为促进恢复工作提供了一个重要工具。此外，研究网站每年雇用多达15名本科生，有数百名学童和成年人访问，为人们提供了一个教育人们关于重要的生态变化以及如何改善这些变化的机会。

This project would research the efficacy of one particular technique in the restoration of native perennial California grasslands. Invasions by exotic species are among the most serious threats to global biodiversity and restoration is a critical tool to mitigate losses. In California, 9.2 million ha of native perennial grassland has been invaded by exotic annual plants from the Mediterranean region with a concomitant loss of native plant biodiversity, and altered biogeochemical processes including increased nitrate leaching, altered fire regimes, and decreased carbon storage.This research will utilize experiments that focus on the underlying ecological processes, particularly seed limitation and altered ecosystem processes, that may have facilitated and maintained the conversion of native habitat. The generality of the results will be determined by conducting experiments across a broad range of latitudes and habitats within California. The results may have broad application to many other settings where similar alteration of native habitats have occurred, providing an important tool to promote restoration efforts. Furthermore, the research sites employ up to 15 undergraduates students a year, and are visited by hundreds of school children and adults, providing an opportunity to educate people about important ecological changes and how to ameliorate them.