U.S.-Ecuador Dissertation Enhancement: Seed Dispersal by Toucans in Amazonia Ecuador: Toucan-Generated Seed Shadows and Genetic-based Models of Virola flexuosa, a Neotropical

在这个由国际科学与工程办公室美洲计划支持的美国-厄瓜多尔学位论文增强项目中，密苏里大学圣路易斯分校的贝特·A·洛伊泽尔和金伯利·M·霍尔布鲁克将进行学位论文增强研究，以调查种子传播对热带森林多样性和结构的贡献。这项研究提出的假设是，巨嘴鸟种子的传播行为影响了新热带肉豆蔻Viroll fleuosa的种群结构。该项目包括与厄瓜多尔旧金山基多大学(USFQ)和厄瓜多尔卡塔利卡大学(PUCE)的科学家和学生生物学家的工作和合作。该项目侧重于一个对长期保护和恢复生物多样性，特别是热带生物多样性具有相当重要的主题。该项目将为一名美国女学生提供国际研究经验，并将加强与拉美科学家的合作。

In this U.S.-Ecuador dissertation enhancement project supported by the Americas Program of the Office of International Science and Engineering, Bette A. Loiselle and Kimberly M Holbrook of the University of Missouri, Saint Louis, will conduct dissertation enhancement research to investigate the contribution of seed dispersal to tropical forest diversity and structure. This research addresses hypotheses that toucan seed dispersal behavior influences the population structure of a neotropical nutmeg, Virola flexuosa. This project includes work and collaboration with scientists and student biologists from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador (USFQ) and Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador (PUCE).The project focuses on a topic of considerable importance to long-term conservation and restoration of biodiversity, particularly in the tropics. The project will provide international research experience for a female US student and will strengthen collaborations with Latin American scientists.