Effects of Invasive Non-Native Species within ecological networks and consequences for ecosystem function

外来入侵物种（INNS）被认为是生物多样性丧失的主要驱动因素。越来越多的经验证据表明，外来入侵物种对生物多样性的直接和间接影响，但这类研究的规模往往有限。我们建议将入侵模型扩展到包括生态网络，并探索入侵的非本地物种削弱生态网络内相互作用的强度并对生态系统功能产生负面影响的假设。大多数关于入侵影响的研究都集中在一个物种对另一个物种的影响上，并且仅限于种群水平，从而避免了包括物种组合的群落方法的复杂性。过度简化的研究可能会导致误导性的结论，因为正反馈和负反馈机制的重要性，例如寄生虫在整个社区中介导的机制，以及它们所提供的功能的最终影响。通过采用网络方法来揭示入侵的非本地物种的影响，从而提高对影响和社区恢复力的预测，从而为风险评估等决策工具提供信息，这是一个相当大的空间。使用建模方法来探索生态网络，学生将解决的问题包括：在包括入侵的非本地物种在内的生态网络中，相互作用的强度是如何变化的？这些变化是如何影响生态系统功能的？生态系统服务方法和自然对人类的贡献（由生物多样性和生态系统服务政府间科学政策平台定义）之间的相关性是什么？该学生将与生态学与水文学中心和斯特林大学的生态学家一起工作，这些生态学家在编纂和分析大型数据集方面具有专业知识。非本地物种秘书处将提供政策和交流背景。学生将有机会获得入侵的非本地物种的大规模和长期数据集，以及来自全球陆地和淡水系统的长期监测时间序列，以及其他相关数据层（包括气候和土地利用），以探索变化驱动因素之间的相互作用。学生将利用生活史特征和发生数据集建立生态相互作用数据库，以支持生态网络分析，探索外来入侵物种对生态系统功能和恢复力的影响。该奖学金虽然属于生物多样性科学领域，但将跨越其他科学领域，包括水文气候风险。该项目将开发和应用分析技术来实现NERC的目标，即理解和预测我们的地球是如何工作的，并负责任地管理我们的环境。

Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) are considered a major driver of biodiversityloss. There is increasing empirical evidence of the direct and indirect effects ofinvasive non-native species on biodiversity but the scale of such studies is oftenlimited. We propose to extend invasion models to encompass ecological networksand explore the hypothesis that invasive non-native species weaken the strength ofinteractions within ecological networks with negative consequences for ecosystemfunction. Most studies on the impacts of invasions focus on the impacts of onespecies on another and are limited to the population-level, thereby avoiding thecomplexities of a community approach whereby assemblages of species would beincluded. Oversimplified studies could result in misleading conclusions because ofthe importance of positive and negative feedback mechanisms, for example thosemediated by parasites, throughout communities and consequently resultant effectson the functions they deliver. There is considerable scope to improve understandingby taking a network approach to unravelling impacts of invasive non-native speciesand so enhance predictions of impact and community resilience so informingdecision-making tools such as risk assessments.Using modelling approaches to explore ecological networks the student will addressquestions including:In what ways do the strength of interactions change within ecological networksincluding invasive non-native species?How do such changes effect ecosystem function?What is the relevance to ecosystem services approaches and Nature'sContributions to People (as defined by the Intergovernmental Science-PolicyPlatform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)?The student will work alongside ecologists with expertise in compiling and analysinglarge datasets within the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University ofStirling. The Non-Native Species Secretariat will provide policy and communicationcontext. The student will have access to large-scale and long-term datasets oninvasive non-native species alongside long-term monitoring time series from acrossthe globe for terrestrial and freshwater systems and other relevant data layers(including climate and land-use) to explore interactions among drivers of change.The student will build a database of ecological interactions using life-history traitsand occurrence datasets to underpin analysis on ecological networks to exploreeffects of invasive non-native species on ecosystem function and resilience.The studentship, although within the Biodiversity Science Area, will span otherscience areas including Hydro-Climate Risks. This project will develop and applyanalytical techniques to address NERC goals of understanding and predicting howour planet works and managing our environment responsibly.