DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The alteration of landscape nutrient flows by human-induced increases in generalist omnivores

论文研究：人类引起的杂食动物增加对景观养分流的改变

• 批准号: 0909965
• 负责人: Robert Holt
• 金额: $ 1.15万
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-05-15 至 2012-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0909965&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; alteration; landscape; nutrient

All organisms require nutrients, such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, and movements of these nutrients among habitats may fundamentally alter their availability for plant growth, and ultimately for the animals dependent upon these plants. Animals can be important avenues of nutrient movement across space. Humans have altered these nutrient flows, both by eliminating some species, and by introducing others which can lead to many direct and indirect impacts on ecological function. Feral swine - a species which was first introduced to the New World by the Spaniards and are now widespread and abundant - is a classic example of a species that can potentially have large impacts upon nutrient flows among habitats. A detailed study of impacts of feral pigs upon ecosystem nutrient flows is being undertaken in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The landscape consists of forested islands interlaced in salt marsh. The pigs use the islands as refuges, and their intense use of these areas has led to high deposition of fecal material in the island forest habitats. Surveys revealed higher nutrient levels in the island forest soil compared to mainland forest soil, and there appear to be considerable impacts upon local plant communities. Exclosures have been set up to determine whether feral hogs are indeed responsible for increased nutrients in these refuges areas, and to examine their impact on the plants. To determine the source of the deposited nutrients, the diet of the hogs is being determined through analysis of fecal and bone samples. Genetic analysis of DNA in the feces will permit an estimation of population size and, combined with the effect the population has on nutrient deposition, will allow a 'per hog' expression of the impact of feral hogs on the nutrient flows. Feral and wild pigs are found globally and are often very abundant in the southeastern U.S.A. Refuge and park managers consider them to be very destructive, but past work has not quantified the magnitude of their impacts on nutrient flows, even though it is clear that they can profoundly alter local ecological processes. The results of this study should have wide applicability, providing basic knowledge that can assist management of many disturbed ecosystems. The project also enriches science education. Undergraduates will be involved in both in the fieldwork and in laboratory analysis. Students will be encouraged to develop their own related projects. One student will examine the imprint of periodic food scarcity as well as disease recorded in tooth enamel and bones. The student will eventually apply the results to the archaeological remains of human populations. One unusual aspect of the educational experience provided by involvement with this project is that students will be interacting with a wide range of non-academic users of the refuge, for instance by the preparation of educational materials and Powerpoint presentations made available to the general public via organizations like the Friends of Lower Suwannee and the National Wildlife Refuge system.

所有生物都需要营养素，例如氮，钾和磷，并且在栖息地中这些营养素的运动可能从根本上改变其植物生长的可用性，最终对于依赖这些植物的动物。 动物可能是跨太空运动的重要途径。 人类通过消除某些物种以及引入其他可能导致许多直接和间接影响生态功能的影响来改变这些营养流。 野猪 - 西班牙人最初引入新世界的物种，现在广泛而丰富 - 是一个可能对栖息地中营养流产生很大影响的物种的经典例子。 在位于佛罗里达墨西哥湾沿岸的下Suwannee国家野生动物保护区，正在对野猪对生态系统营养流的影响进行详细研究。 景观由盐沼中的森林岛屿组成。猪将这些岛屿用作避难所，它们对这些地区的强烈使用导致粪便材料在岛屿森林栖息地中的高度沉积。与大陆森林土壤相比，调查显示岛森林土壤中的养分水平更高，并且似乎对当地植物群落产生了相当大的影响。 已经建立了排他性，以确定野猪是否确实导致了这些避难所中的营养增加，并检查其对植物的影响。 为了确定沉积养分的来源，正在通过分析粪便和骨样品来确定猪的饮食。 粪便中DNA的遗传分析将允许估计人口大小，并结合种群对养分沉积的影响，将允许野猪对养分流的影响“每只猪”表达。 野猪和野猪在全球范围内发现，在美国东南部通常非常丰富。避难和公园经理认为它们具有破坏性，但是过去的工作并未量化其对营养流的影响的大小，即使他们很明显他们可以可以深刻改变当地的生态过程。 这项研究的结果应该具有广泛的适用性，提供基本知识，可以帮助管理许多受干扰的生态系统。 该项目还丰富了科学教育。 本科生将参与现场工作和实验室分析。 将鼓励学生开发自己的相关项目。 一名学生将检查周期性稀缺性的烙印以及牙齿搪瓷和骨骼中记录的疾病。 学生最终将将结果应用于人口的考古遗骸。 参与该项目提供的教育经验的一个不寻常的方面是，学生将与避难所的广泛非学术使用者进行互动，例如，通过准备教育材料和PowerPoint演示文稿，可以通过像下苏万尼之友和国家野生动物保护系统这样的组织。