Are Current Trophic Dynamics Models Worth Their Salt? The Relative Roles of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Effects Along a Salinity Gradient in a Florida Salt Marsh.

这项提议的重点是测试昆虫食草动物主要是由寄主植物还是由天敌控制。我将使用一个关于盐沼植物及其相关食草动物的潮间带研究系统来测试这些因素的相对强度。我将测试植物和天敌的影响是否会沿着压力梯度变化，在这种情况下是盐度梯度。生态学家、农学家、昆虫学家和害虫防治工作者应该对该项目感兴趣。如果发现天敌不重要，或仅在某些生境中重要，那么利用天敌进行生物防治的价值就会受到质疑，植物抗性作为一种控制技术的价值就会得到加强。

This proposal focuses on testing whether insect herbivores are controlled largely by theirhost plant or by their natural enemies. I will test the relative strengths of thesefactors by using an intertidal study system of salt marsh plants and their associatedherbivores. I will test whether the influence of both plants and natural enemies variesalong a stress gradient, in this case a salinity gradient. The project should be interestto ecologists, agriculturalists, entomologists, and pest control workers. If naturalenemies are not found to be important, or to be important only in certain habitats, thenthe value of biological control, using natural enemies, is brought into question and thevalue of plant resistance as a control technique is strengthened.