The heterogeneity-biodiversity relationship across taxa and ecosystems

环境异质性是指某一区域内资源或结构的时空变化。异质性-多样性假说是生态学的经典，以至于自然资源保护主义者在强调保护或恢复不同栖息地类型的重要性时，为这种积极关系辩护已成为司空见惯的事。然而，最近的理论和观察表明，这种关系可以是积极的，平缓的，甚至是消极的，这取决于生态环境。虽然植物和动物的多样性在景观尺度上直观地依赖于环境异质性，但这种关系是否适用于林分尺度尚不清楚。另一种观点认为，在林分尺度上，异质性-多样性关系消失，甚至可能被逆转（多样性导致异质性）。先驱者的工作以及最近的研究系统地考虑了一个关系方向；这种异质性产生了多样性。到目前为止，植物多样性如何决定林分尺度上的环境异质性的问题一直被忽视。***为了概括异质性-多样性关系，我建议沿着气候/地理条件的梯度对8个生态系统中的两个动物类群（露天矫形动物和森林鸟类）进行研究。环境异质性将使用直接现场方法和间接近距离摄影协议来测量。动物群落将根据物种和功能群落的丰富程度以及通过数字记录进行描述。在方法方面，我们将开发植物结构和光线拦截模式的快速摄影描述符，以及发声动物群体的物种和功能丰富度的声学描述符。在概念方面，我们将与涉及营养转移和生物调节过程的全球分布的模式生物（鸟类和矫形动物）合作。****提议的框架连接了景观生态学、生态声学和社区生态学的子学科。推广跨分类群和生态系统的异质性-多样性关系是制定更明智的生物多样性保护政策的重要一步。我们的工作将解决利益相关者经常提出的问题：我们应该在什么尺度上管理生物多样性的栖息地，或者是否存在一个环境异质性水平，超过这个水平生物多样性就会饱和？这项研究计划将培养新一代的生物学家，他们可以使用和开发工具，在空间和时间上以高分辨率监测植物和动物群落

Environmental heterogeneity is defined as the spatial and temporal change in resource or structure within a given area. The heterogeneity-diversity hypothesis is a classic of ecology, to the degree that it has become commonplace for conservationists to plead the positive relationship when emphasizing the importance of preserving or restoring different habitat types. However, recent theory and observation suggest that the relationship can be positive, flat, or even negative, depending on the ecological context. While plant and animal diversity intuitively depend on environmental heterogeneity at the landscape-scale, it is unclear whether the relationship generalizes the stand-scale. An alternative view is that the heterogeneity-diversity relationship vanishes and may even be reversed (diversity begets heterogeneity) at the stand-scale. Pioneer work as well as more recent studies have systematically considered one relationship direction; that heterogeneity begets diversity. The question of how plant diversity determines environmental heterogeneity at the stand-scale has, so far, been overlooked.***To generalize the heterogeneity-diversity relationship, I propose studying it for two animal groups (open-field orthopterans and forest birds) in eight ecosystems along a gradient of climatic/edaphic conditions. Environmental heterogeneity will be measured using both direct field methods and indirect close-range photographic protocols. Animal communities will be described in terms of species and functional guild richness, as well as through digital recordings. On the method side, we will develop rapid photographic descriptors of plant architecture and light interception patterns, as well as acoustic descriptors of species and functional richness in vocalizing animal groups. On the conceptual side, we will work with worldwide distributed model organisms (birds and orthopterans) that are implicated in trophic transfer and bioregulation processes.****The proposed framework bridges the sub-disciplines of landscape ecology, eco-acoustics and community ecology. Generalizing the heterogeneity-diversity relationship across taxa and ecosystems is an important step towards more informed policies for biodiversity conservation. Our work will address questions frequently asked by stakeholders: At what scales should we manage habitats for biodiversity, or is there a level of environmental heterogeneity beyond which biodiversity is expected to saturate? This research program will form new generation of biologists that can use and develop tools for monitoring plant and animal communities at high resolution in space and time.**