RUI: Diversity and Dynamics of Forest Butterflies in Ghana's Indigenous Sacred Groves and Forest Reserves

BossartThis project will document the蝶类生物多样性的残留森林“岛屿”从一个最生物独特的，严重危及，并在世界上研究不足的地区;加纳的热带森林。 该项目强调调查和保护森林储备和不可替代的神圣的格罗夫斯。 神圣的格罗夫斯是孤立的森林地区，数百年来一直受到土著人民的保护，并且在人们的记忆中是连续森林的一部分。 主要目标是：1）调查森林破碎化如何影响森林依赖物种的社区，并确定哪些因素促进它们的持久性而不是灭绝，2）缩小目前存在的普遍知识差距西非独特的森林生态系统。蝴蝶是评估退化景观中自然群落状况的极好模型，因为它们对环境变化的相对敏感性表现出广泛的多样性，作为主要消费者（食草动物）和食物项目与生态系统紧密相关，并且易于收集和识别。 与该项目有关的主要实地活动将在三年内进行，包括使用诱饵陷阱和网收集对九个森林地点进行定期和系统的调查，对至少另外六个独特的森林地点进行密集的现场调查，测量每个地点的森林特征（例如，大小和树冠覆盖），以及有目的地收集毛毛虫和它们对食物植物的依赖，以积累急需的，但基本上不存在的，关于物种生物学和自然历史的信息。 该项目将1）极大地扩展我们对西非森林生物多样性的理解，2）测试广泛的生态和地理学假设，这些假设与这个特定系统无关，3）在全球网络上建立加纳蝴蝶动物群的数据和图像丰富的图书馆，4）使物种清单和总结调查结果迅速提供给当地社区和保护机构，以促进基于科学的保护计划，5）帮助巩固东道国的永久参考资料和博物馆收藏; 6）为未来的分子生物学、生态学、进化和系统学研究提供参考框架。该项目强调教育、培训、能力建设和文化交流。 这是一项国际合作，包括为美国和加纳的学生和科学家提供海外研究和专业机会，并涉及来自美国的合作专家，英国、比利时和越南，以及美国（罗斯-胡尔曼理工学院和卡内基自然历史博物馆）和加纳（加纳林业研究所、夸梅-恩克鲁玛科技大学、加纳野生动物部和自然保护研究中心）的多个机构和工作人员。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

AbstractDEB 0417367BossartThis project will document the butterfly biodiversity of relict forest'islands' from one of the most biologically unique, critically imperiled,and understudied regions in the world; the tropical forests of Ghana. Theproject emphasizes survey and conservation of forest reserves andirreplaceable sacred groves. Sacred groves are isolated forest areas thathave been protected for hundreds of years by indigenous peoples and thatwere within living memory part of continuous forest. Major goals are to1) investigate how forest fragmentation impacts communities offorest-dependent species and to identify what factors promote theirpersistence versus extinction, and 2) narrow the pervasive knowledge gapthat currently exists for the unique forest ecosystems of West Africa. Butterflies are excellent models for evaluating the status of naturalcommunities in degraded landscapes because they show a wide diversity ofrelative sensitivities to environmental change, are tightly linked toecological systems as both primary consumers (herbivores) and food items,and are easily collected and identified. Primary field activitiesassociated with the project will occur over three years and includeregular and systematic survey of nine forest sites using baited traps andnet collections, intensive spot surveys of at least six additional uniqueforest sites, measurement of forest characteristics at each site (e.g.,size and canopy cover), and purposeful collection of caterpillars andtheir food plant dependencies to amass much needed, but largelynonexistent, information on species' biology and natural histories. Theproject will 1) greatly expand our understanding of forest biodiversity intropical West Africa, 2) test broad ecological and biogeographichypotheses that have relevance beyond this particular system, 3) establisha data and image-rich library of the Ghanaian butterfly fauna on the worldwide web, 4) make species checklists and summary findings rapidlyavailable to local communities and conservation agencies to facilitatescience-based conservation plans, 5) help solidify permanent reference andmuseum collections in the host country, and 6) generate a referenceframework for future research in molecular biology, ecology, evolution,and systematics.The project emphasizes education, training, capacity building, andcultural exchange. It is an international collaboration that includesoverseas research and professional opportunities for U.S. and Ghanaianstudents and scientists, and involves cooperating specialists from theU.S., Britain, Belgium, and Vietnam, and multiple institutions and staffin the U.S. (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Carnegie Museum ofNatural History) and Ghana (Forestry Research Institute of Ghana,Kwame-Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana WildlifeDivision, and Nature Conservation Research Centre).This award is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering.