NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011

本行动资助2011年度美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大参与。该奖学金支持奖学金获得者在主办实验室的研究和培训计划，该奖学金获得者还提出了扩大生物学参与的计划。这项奖学金的研究和培训计划的题目是“捕食者减少对多样化非洲生态系统社区的影响”。该奖学金的主办机构是加州大学伯克利分校，赞助科学家是Justin Brashares博士。顶级捕食者的局部灭绝会导致整个食物链和生态系统的级联效应。然而，一些群落可以缓冲这些营养级联，因为物种可以随着时间的推移改变它们的饮食、行为或分布。不幸的是，我们关于捕食者损失的大部分知识来自北美生态系统的减少，那里的营养级联和社区补偿很难检测到。相比之下，许多非洲生态系统支持更大的捕食者和猎物物种组合，并提供丰富的研究环境。本研究利用群落生存能力框架，比较了西非有和没有顶端捕食者的复制区域中低营养水平物种的数量和行为反应。主要的顶级掠食者包括非洲狮（Panthera leo）、豹子（Panthera pardus）和斑点鬣狗（Crocuta Crocuta）。培训目标包括通过收集观测调查数据、稳定同位素和粪便分析以及相机捕获工作，提高占用和生态位建模方面的技术技能。了解哪些物种的相互作用对群落组成的变化更敏感，有助于生态系统的恢复力和健康。更广泛的影响包括首次估计加纳许多小型哺乳动物和中食肉动物物种的分布和密度，从而建立当地食肉动物保护的能力，并了解物种多样性的全球格局。与Kwame Nkrumah科技大学和加纳大学的科学家的合作增加了国际层面。公民科学的组成部分包括向游客分发一次性相机，让他们拍摄研究区域内的野生动物。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Nyeema Harris is "Impacts of predator losses on communities in a diverse African ecosystem." The host institution for this fellowship is University of California, Berkeley and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Justin Brashares.Local extinctions of apex predators can lead to cascading effects throughout food chains and ecosystems. However, some communities are buffered against these trophic cascades because species can shift their diet, behavior, or distribution over time. Unfortunately, much of our knowledge about predator losses comes from diminished ecosystems in North America where trophic cascades and community compensation are difficult to detect. In contrast, many African ecosystems support a greater assemblage of predator and prey species and offer a rich research environment. This research uses a community viability framework to compare the numerical and behavioral responses of species at lower trophic levels across replicated areas with and without apex predators in West Africa. Focal apex predators include African lions (Panthera leo), leopards (Panthera pardus) and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).Training objectives include enhancing technical skills in occupancy and niche modeling through the collection of data from observational surveys, stable isotope and scat analysis, and camera trapping efforts. Understanding which species interactions are more sensitive to changes in community composition informs the resilience and health of ecosystems. Broader impacts include the first estimates of distribution and density of many small mammal and mesopredator species in Ghana, thus building local capacity for carnivore conservation and apprising global patterns of species diversity. Collaborations with scientists at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Ghana add an international dimension. A citizen science component involves distributing disposable cameras to visitors to photograph wildlife inside the study areas.