Dissertation Research: Decomposition and Nutrient Cycling in a Changing Environment: Is Genetic Diversity Redundant to Ecosystem Function?

论文研究：不断变化的环境中的分解和养分循环：遗传多样性对生态系统功能来说是多余的吗？

• 批准号: 0104804
• 负责人: Mark Hunter
• 金额: $ 0.71万
• 依托单位: University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-05-15 至 2003-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0104804&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Decomposition; Nutrient; Cycling

Despite numerous studies, it is still unclear how biodiversity affects ecosystem function. This research will evaluate whether interspecific effects overshadow intraspecific variation in influencing ecosystem dynamics. A field experiment being conducted as part of this dissertation has found that genetic makeup of leaf litter affected components of the carbon and nitrogen cycles by influencing tannin content, decomposition rate, and nitrogen content. Low genetic diversity yielded idiosyncratic nutrient cycles that differed significantly from high diversity treatments. While this project is unique in its focus on intraspecific, and not interspecific diversity, the implications need to be considered in relation to interspecific diversity. Specifically, will the effects of decreased intraspecific diversity be masked by the addition of a single commonly co-occurring species? To answer this, the PIs propose to replicate field experiments in the lab with and without the addition of naturally co-occurring pine litter. By comparing carbon and nitrogen dynamics of oak litter with and without pine litter, the PIs will be able to assess the effects of additional species in the community on the ecosystem-level consequences of reduced intraspecific genetic diversity

尽管进行了大量研究，但仍不清楚生物多样性如何影响生态系统功能。这项研究将评估种间效应是否掩盖了影响生态系统动态的种内变化。 作为本论文一部分的田间实验发现，落叶层的基因组成通过影响单宁含量、分解速率和氮含量来影响碳和氮循环的组成部分。低遗传多样性产生了与高多样性处理显着不同的特殊营养循环。虽然该项目的独特之处在于它关注种内多样性，而不是种间多样性，但需要考虑种间多样性的影响。具体来说，种内多样性下降的影响是否会被添加一个共同存在的物种所掩盖？为了回答这个问题，PI 建议在实验室中重复现场实验，添加或不添加自然共存的松树凋落物。通过比较有和没有松树凋落物的橡树凋落物的碳和氮动态，PI将能够评估群落中其他物种对种内遗传多样性减少的生态系统水平后果的影响