Luquillo LTER Program 4: Understanding Change in the Ecosystems of Northeastern Puerto Rico

Luquillo LTER 计划 4：了解波多黎各东北部生态系统的变化

• 批准号: 0620910
• 负责人: Nicholas Brokaw
• 金额: $ 492万
• 依托单位: University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-12-01 至 2015-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0620910&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Luquillo; LTER; Program; Understanding; Change

The Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program (LUQ) focuses on understanding factors driving long-term change in tropical forest ecosystems in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. Building on an earlier emphasis on natural disturbances (hurricanes, landslides, droughts, floods) and ecosystem responses, LUQ will continue studies of ecosystem structure and processes in mid-elevation tabonuco forest, extend research into other forest types along an elevation gradient, and begin investigations of regional-scale processes affecting the Luquillo Mountains. Four approaches will be used: long-term experiments and measurements, comparative analyses among different forest communities, gradient analysis from forest to urban, and synthesis using conceptual and simulation models.Mounting evidence suggests that increasing hurricane intensity, declining rainfall in the mountains, and rising temperature in lowland urbanized areas can significantly affect the ecosystems of the Luquillo Mountains. In this context, the overarching question is: How do changes in disturbance regime and climate alter biogeochemical cycles, biotic structure, and ecosystem services? This leads to three specific questions addressing key elements of the LUQ conceptual framework:1) What controls variation in carbon and nutrient fluxes, and how are these variations modified by disturbance? Many processes in the Luquillo Mountains exhibit well defined seasonality and links to climate. Understanding these relationships is essential for determining the sensitivity of biota and biogeochemical cycling to environmental change. 2) Are changes in temperature, rainfall, light and wind (climate) along the Luquillo elevation gradient sufficient to explain variation in biogeochemical processes and biotic structure? LUQ proposes to study linear and non-linear trends in climate with elevation in the Luquillo Mountains as drivers of ecosystem processes and the distribution of organisms. By improving understanding of the importance of biotic and abiotic factors in determining the distribution of organisms over spatial gradients in tropical mountains, scientists will increase their ability to understand the effects of change.3) How important are changes in land-use in determining long-term ecosystembiogeochemistry, biotic structure, and services? Land-use and land-cover are changingdramatically in northeastern Puerto Rico in response to socioeconomic changes. LUQ proposes to examine the long-term effects of land-use and land-cover change on a range of features, including regional and local climate, tree species composition, stream ecology, and a key ecosystem service: the delivery of clean water for humans.The proposed research will provide an improved scientific framework for the management of tropical ecosystems and ecosystem services. It will do so both through conceptual advances and documentation of human disturbance and ecosystem response. The project will continue to produce a cadre of young and minority scientists who are versed in linking population and ecosystem approaches to evaluating environmental change, and will provide them with skills that can be applied in tropical regions or elsewhere. LUQ has developed a comprehensive education program involving teachers at a network of six high schools and a web-based middle school curriculum for teaching ecology. Additional outreach activities are directed at improving the general public's appreciation of the water resources provided to surrounding towns by streams draining the Luquillo Mountains.

卢奎洛（Luquillo）长期生态研究计划（LUQ）着重于理解波多黎各卢奎洛山脉（Luquillo Mountains）在热带森林生态系统中长期变化的因素。 LUQ在早期强调自然障碍（飓风，滑坡，干旱，洪水）和生态系统反应的基础上，将继续研究塔巴努库森林中期的生态系统结构和过程，将研究扩展到其他森林类型沿着海拔升高，并开始研究对卢克尔·卢克尔（Luquillo Mornains）的区域阶段过程的研究。将使用四种方法：长期实验和测量，不同森林社区之间的比较分析，从森林到城市的梯度分析以及使用概念和仿真模型的合成。安装证据表明，飓风强度增加，山上的降雨量下降，山区的降雨量下降，而在低地城市化地区的降雨量会对luemillo的生态系统产生重大影响。在这种情况下，总体问题是：干扰制度和气候的变化如何改变生物地球化学周期，生物结构和生态系统服务？这导致了三个针对LUQ概念框架的关键要素的特定问题：1）是什么控制了碳和养分通量的变化，以及这些变化如何通过干扰来改变？卢奎洛山脉的许多过程表现出明确的季节性和与气候的联系。了解这些关系对于确定生物群和生物地球化学对环境变化的敏感性至关重要。 2）温度，降雨，明亮和风（气候）的变化是否足以解释生物地球化学过程和生物结构的变化？ LUQ建议研究气候中的线性和非线性趋势，并在Luquillo山上作为生态系统过程的驱动因素和生物体的分布来研究。通过提高对生物和非生物因素在确定热带山区空间梯度分布的重要性，科学家将提高其理解变化影响的能力。3）土地利用在确定长期生态系统Biocystembiiopeystembiiogeochochochochochochochochochochochechist，生物结构，生物结构和服务中的重要性有多大的重要性？在波多黎各东北部的社会经济变化，土地利用和土地覆盖率正在变化。 LUQ建议研究土地利用和土地覆盖变化对一系列特征的长期影响，包括区域和当地气候，树种物种组成，溪流生态学以及关键的生态系统服务：为人类提供清洁水的水平。拟议的研究将为热带生态系统和生态系统服务的管理提供改进的科学框架。它将通过概念上的进步和人类干扰和生态系统反应的记录来做到这一点。该项目将继续生产一群年轻和少数族裔科学家的干部，这些科学家精通人口和生态系统方法来评估环境变化，并将为他们提供可以在热带地区或其他地方应用的技能。 LUQ制定了一项全面的教育计划，该计划涉及六个高中网络的教师和一项基于网络的中学课程，以教授生态学。额外的外展活动旨在改善公众对耗尽卢奎洛山脉的溪流对周围城镇提供的水资源的欣赏。