Quantifying the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services by dung beetles

我的研究计划旨在了解昆虫支持的生态系统服务的重要性和脆弱性。生态系统服务被定义为人类从直接或间接支持其生活质量的生态系统中获得的有益功能和产品。许多由昆虫支持的生态系统服务(如授粉、害虫调控和营养循环)在农业生态系统中具有核心重要性。环境压力，如接触杀虫剂或极端温度，可通过在个体、种群或社区层面对昆虫产生影响，影响这些生态系统服务的提供。屎甲虫是一个很好的模型系统，可以在这些水平上探索这些后果。大多数粪甲虫主要以哺乳动物的粪便为食，以粪便中富含微生物的液体部分为食。粪甲虫提供的生态系统服务(包括：中断寄生虫传播、提高初级生产力和减少温室气体排放)与粪甲虫物种的筑巢习惯密切相关。金龟子的筑巢习性受生物特征(如体型)、非生物因素(如温度波动)和生物相互作用(如有无捕食者)的影响。使用实验室、中观和田间实验相结合的方法--我的研究计划的头五年将确定由屎甲虫支持的生态系统服务的重要性和脆弱性。我的方法将集中于三个相互关联的目标：目标1.量化农业和森林生境之间的生态系统服务交换目标2.确定局部规模的环境质量如何影响特征变化和生态系统服务提供目标3.将实验室和田间实验联系起来，以了解通过所述研究产生的伊维菌素在屎甲虫体内诱导的兴奋作用的生态相关性将解决在理解昆虫生物多样性和生态系统服务之间联系方面的基本问题。由于屎甲虫在自然和受管理的景观中提供广泛的生态系统服务，因此该研究项目产生的知识也将对农业生态系统的可持续管理具有很强的适用性。

My research program aims to understand the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services supported by insects. Ecosystem services are defined as the beneficial functions and goods that humans derive from ecosystems that directly or indirectly support their quality of life. Many ecosystem services supported by insects (such as pollination, pest regulation, and nutrient cycling) have a central importance within agroecosystems. Environmental stressors such as exposure to pesticides, or temperature extremes can affect the delivery of these ecosystem services through effects on insects experienced at the individual, population, or community level. Dung beetles are an excellent model system to explore these consequences across each of these levels. Most dung beetles are largely coprophagous on the dung of mammals, and feed on the microorganism-rich liquid fraction of dung. Ecosystem services provided by dung beetles (which include: disrupting parasite transmission, improving primary productivity, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions) are strongly tied to the nesting habits of dung beetle species. The nesting habits of dung beetles are influenced by biological traits (e.g. body-size), abiotic factors (e.g. temperature fluctuations), and biotic interactions (e.g. presence/absence of predators). Using a combined approach of laboratory, mesocosm, and field experiments - the first five years of my research program will identify the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services supported by dung beetles. My approach will focus on three interrelated objectives: Objective 1. Quantifying exchange of ecosystem services between agricultural and forested habitats Objective 2. Determining how local-scale environmental quality affects trait variation and ecosystem service provision Objective 3. Bridging laboratory and field experiments to understand the ecological relevance of ivermectin-induced hormesis within dung beetles Knowledge generated through the research described will address fundamental questions in understanding the linkages between insect biodiversity and ecosystem services. As dung beetles provide a wide breadth of ecosystem services in natural and managed landscapes, knowledge generated from this research program will also have strong applicability to the sustainable management of agroecosystems.