Dissertation Research: Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Corridors and Plant Fitness--An Experimental Approach

栖息地破碎化是物种减少和灭绝的最常见原因之一，随着生物试图追踪气候变化，碎片化的负面影响预计会增加。因此，保护和维护景观连通性是保护的重中之重。栖息地走廊——连接孤立的相似栖息地的狭长地带——被广泛用于促进连通性，但支持走廊有效性的证据落后于它们在保护管理计划中的普及。不幸的是，连通性的科学和管理在很大程度上仍然是两个独立的领域。拟议的研究旨在弥补这一差距。该项目是一项大型实验研究，旨在研究生境走廊对两种植物-动物相互作用（昆虫取食和鸟类传播种子）的影响及其对植物适应性的影响。昆虫的食草性可能是植物繁殖成功的主要决定因素，鸟类的长距离种子传播对许多植物物种的种群增长至关重要。该研究利用实验破碎的长叶松林扩展和测试了一种将种子传播与景观连通性联系起来的行为模型，重点研究了果实季节（夏季与冬季）对传播者行为的影响，以及这些行为差异对种子沿走廊长距离传播的重要性。这项研究扩展了与美国林务局正在进行的合作，以促进长叶松林的恢复，长叶松林是美国最濒危的生态群落之一。它还解决了保护生物学中悬而未决的突出问题：栖息地走廊如何影响植物与动物的相互作用，并最终影响植物的适应性。进行这项工作的博士生和首席科学家通过公立学校的教学、媒体宣传和指导有才华的新生，向广泛的受众传达他们的研究成果。

Habitat fragmentation is one of the most common causes of species decline and extinction, and the negative effects of fragmentation are predicted to increase as organisms attempt to track changing climates. The preservation and maintenance of landscape connectivity is thus a central priority for conservation. Habitat corridors - narrow strips of habitat connecting otherwise isolated patches of similar habitat - are a widely used to promote connectivity, but evidence supporting the efficacy of corridors has lagged behind their popularity in conservation management plans. Unfortunately, the science and the management of connectivity are still largely separate fields.The proposed research is designed to bridge this gap. The project is a large-scale experimental study of the impact of habitat corridors on two plant-animal interactions - insect herbivory and seed dispersal by birds - and the resulting impacts on plant fitness. Insect herbivory can be a primary determinant of plant reproductive success, and long distance seed dispersal by birds is crucial for the population growth of many plant species. The research uses an experimentally fragmented longleaf pine forest to expand and test a behavioral model that links seed dispersal to landscape connectivity, focusing on the influence of fruiting season (summer vs. winter) on disperser behavior, and the importance of these behavioral differences for long-distance seed dispersal down corridors. This research extends an ongoing collaboration with the US Forest Service to promote restoration of longleaf pine forests, which are among the most endangered ecological communities in the US. It also addresses salient unanswered questions in conservation biology: how habitat corridors influence plant-animal interactions and ultimately plant fitness. The PhD student and lead scientist conducting this work have an exemplary track record communicating their research to a wide audience through public school teaching, media outreach, and mentoring talented new students.