DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Exploring the Potential of Fish Diversity as a Determinant of Ecosystem Properties in Aquatic Food Webs.

保护生物学的一个主要问题是入侵物种的影响，造成美学，文化，经济和生态灾难。 物种入侵在水生系统中很普遍;例如，由于故意和意外的引入，鱼类群落已被强烈改变。 一个关键目标是了解入侵物种如何影响本地物种并改变生态系统过程。本研究将探讨入侵鱼类鲤鱼（Cyprinus carpio）对围隔生态系统和湖泊多空间尺度生态系统动态的影响。 需要探讨的假设是，入侵物种的影响将随着本地物种丰富度的不同而变化。 了解本地生物多样性对入侵物种影响的缓冲能力是很重要的，因为本地生物多样性是抵御入侵者传播的重要防线，是生态系统过程的一个强有力的决定因素。本研究将通过将生物多样性变化与生态系统过程联系起来，提供对基本生态过程的见解。 这项研究的结果还将改善入侵物种影响的预测，从而为保护提供明智的综合管理决策。 此外，该项目将为本科生提供与水生生态学研究有关的实地和实验室技术培训机会。

A major concern in conservation biology is the effects of invasive species that cause aesthetic, cultural, economic, and ecological disasters. Species invasions are prevalent in aquatic systems; for example, fish communities have been intensively altered due to intentional and accidental introductions. A key objective is to understand how effects of invasive species impact native species and alter ecosystem processes. This research will explore the influence of an invasive fish, common carp (Cyprinus carpio), on ecosystem dynamics at multiple spatial scales of mesocosms and lakes. The hypothesis to be explored is that the impact of an invasive species will vary with native species richness. Understanding the ability of native biodiversity to buffer the effects of invasive species is important as local biodiversity represents an important line of defense against the spread of invaders and is a strong determinant of ecosystem processes.This study will provide insights into basic ecological processes by linking changes in biodiversity to ecosystem processes. The results of this study will also improve predictions of invasive species effects allowing informed, integrated management decisions for conservation. In addition, this project will provide opportunities for undergraduate training in field and laboratory techniques associated with research in aquatic ecology.