Doctoral Dissertation Research: Avian Community Response to Broad-Scale Ecological Disturbances Across Spruce-Fir Forests

自然干扰状况的变化可以从根本上改变区域范围内的群落，从而影响生态系统的功能和进程。 本博士论文研究计画将探讨大规模生态干扰对亚高山针叶林鸟类群落的影响。博士生将使用贝叶斯建模方法来评估伐木处理和树皮甲虫流行病对常见鸟类群落的影响。 该研究将定量预测伐木和甲虫爆发对未来森林动态和生态系统服务（包括鸟类多样性）的影响。 它将提供新的观点，关于树皮甲虫野生动物的关系，以帮助生态学家在确定气候变暖的影响，大规模的森林干扰动态。 这项研究对森林和自然资源政府和非政府机构具有重要意义，因为它将提供有关改善森林复原力和养护的替代方法的见解。 作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生建立一个强大的独立的研究生涯。博士生将使用观察和建模方法来了解改变生态系统的甲虫干扰的生态后果。 这项研究将在科罗拉多圣胡安山脉的云冷杉林的四个地点进行。 利用遥感衍生产品，现场数据和贝叶斯建模方法，学生将寻求回答两组核心问题：（a）云杉甲虫爆发如何影响鸟类群落组成和丰度，以及哪些森林结构变量与增加多样性有关？ (2)在为减轻云杉甲虫侵扰而砍伐的森林中，鸟类多样性如何作为特定森林结构变量的函数而变化？ 项目成果将增进对干扰与野生动物关系及其对大规模森林干扰动态的影响的了解，从而有助于更有效地保护未来的生物多样性。

Shifts in natural disturbance regimes can radically change communities at regional scales and consequently impact ecosystem functions and processes. This doctoral dissertation research project will investigate the impact of broad-scale ecological disturbances on the avian community in sub-alpine conifer forests. The doctoral student will use Bayesian modeling methods to evaluate the community-level impacts of logging treatments and bark beetle epidemics on the common avifauna guilds. The research will quantitatively predict the effects of logging and beetle outbreaks on both future forest dynamics and ecosystem services, including avian diversity. It will provide new perspectives regarding bark beetle-wildlife relationships for aiding ecologists in determining the effects of a warming climate on broad-scale forest disturbance dynamics. The study has important implications for forest and natural resources government and non-government agencies because it will provide insights regarding alternative approaches for improving forest resiliency and conservation. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.The doctoral student will use observational and modeling approaches to understand the ecological consequences of landscape-altering beetle disturbances. The study will be conducted at four sites in the spruce-fir forests of Colorado's San Juan Mountains. Using remote sensing derived products, in-situ data, and Bayesian modeling methods, the student will seek to answer two core sets of questions: (a) How do spruce beetle outbreaks impact avian community composition and abundance, and what forest structure variables are associated with increased diversity? (2) How does avian diversity change as a function of specific forest structure variables in forests that are logged to mitigate spruce beetle infestations? Project results will enhance understanding of disturbance-wildlife relationships and their effects on broad-scale forest disturbance dynamics, thereby helping to preserve future biodiversity more effectively.