U.S.-Brazil Collaborative Research: Seed Predation and Herbivory in Neotropical Savannas: Are There Demographic Consequences for Plants?

在美国-巴西合作项目，由国际科学与工程办公室美洲项目支持，埃米利奥M。佛罗里达大学的布鲁纳将开展一个项目，研究食草动物（切叶蚁）、食草动物（啮齿动物）的影响，以及它们对巴西塞拉多热带生态系统中多样化植物群落的相互作用。 布鲁纳博士将与乌贝兰迪亚联邦大学的美国同事和巴西同事一起进行一项多方面的实验，以研究去除不同营养水平对该生态系统中幼苗补充的影响，包括独立和协同作用。 他们希望不仅了解granivory和草食性因素的相对重要性，而且了解它们如何相互作用，影响植物种群和群落动态。 通过这项研究，研究人员希望回答植物种群生态学中的一个基本问题。 该项目还为美国学生提供国际研究经验，并将加强与巴西科学家的合作。

In this U.S.-Brazil collaborative project supported by the Americas Program of the Office of International Science and Engineering, Dr. Emilio M. Bruna,of the University of Florida will pursue a program to examine the effects of herbivores (leaf cutter ants), granivores (rodents), and their interaction on a diverse plant community in an understudied tropical ecosystem, the cerrado of Brazil. Together with U.S. coworkers and Brazilian colleagues from the Federal University of Uberlandia, Dr. Bruna will perform a multifaceted experiment to examine the effect of the removal of different trophic levels on seedling recruitment in this ecosystem, both independently and synergistically. They expect to learn not only the relative importance of granivory and herbivory factors, but also how they interact to influence plant population and community dynamics.The project focuses on a topic of considerable importance to ecological research. Through this research the investigators hope to answer a fundamental question in plant population ecology. This project also provides international research experience for U.S. students and will strengthen a developing collaboration with the Brazilian scientists.