Seed-dispersal Mutualisms: The Spatio-temporal Dynamics of Fleshy-fruited Plants and Their Avian Dispersers on Landscapes

每一种植物都是久坐不动的，但植物物种会长途迁徙，进入新的栖息地。这个项目将调查鸟类如何移动入侵的植物，以阐明吃水果的鸟类如何通过移动种子来帮助植物在不同的景观中传播。通过将有关鸟类运动模式的现有信息和种子通过鸟类消化系统的速度与新收集的关于鸟类活动栖息地植物生存和繁殖的数据相结合，将建立一个模型。这个模型将有可能测试鸟类的运动和鸟类对某些栖息地类型的偏好如何影响鸟类分散植物的迁移速度的想法。除了对种子传播生态学的基本见解外，这项研究将为抗击入侵植物提供关键工具。入侵动植物是世界上高达80%的受威胁或濒危物种面临的最大威胁。由于这项工作专门针对入侵的食果鸟类和入侵植物，它将提供必要的信息，为及早发现和控制其他入侵的、散布在鸟类中的植物提供具体的、定量的指导方针。

Every individual plant is sedentary, yet plant species move over long distances and into new habitats. This project will investigate how birds move invasive plants, to elucidate how fruit-eating birds help plants spread across landscapes by moving their seeds. A model will be built by combining existing information about bird movement patterns and the rates at which seeds pass through birds' digestive systems with newly-collected data on plant survival and reproduction in the habitats that birds move around in. This model will make it possible to test ideas about how bird movements and the preference of birds for certain habitat types influence the speed of migration of bird-dispersed plants. Along with fundamental insights into the ecology of seed dispersal, this research will provide a critical tool in the fight against invasive plants. Invasive plants and animals are the most important threat for up to 80% of the world's threatened or endangered species. Because this work specifically focuses on invasive fruit-eating birds and invasive plants, it will provide information necessary to produce specific, quantitative guidelines for the early detection and control of other invasive, bird-dispersed plants.