Using ecological theory to restore invaded Mediterranean-climate ecosystems

利用生态理论恢复被入侵的地中海气候生态系统

• 批准号: 1132994
• 负责人: Jennifer Funk
• 金额: $ 1.32万
• 依托单位: Chapman University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-10-01 至 2013-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1132994&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Using; ecological; theory; restore; invaded

Invasive species represent one of the most serious threats to vegetation community composition and ecosystem function worldwide. However, science-driven techniques needed to restore these invaded communities are lacking. One specific hypothesis is that community resistance to invasion can be strengthened by selecting native species that are similar to invasive species in resource use, thus increasing competition. This is based on the theory of limiting similarity, which posits that there is a finite limit to the similarity between the resource-use of co-existing species. The first step in elucidating the utility of limiting similarity approach to restoration is quantifying differences in resource use between native and invasive species across a variety of invaded systems. Through this project, functional trait data will be collected from native and invasive plant species in two vegetation communities in Spain. The data will be combined with existing data from three other mediterranean-climate ecosystems (MCEs) to test how one ecological theory ? limiting similarity ? can be used to restore invaded vegetation communities. Results from the present Catalyzing research will be incorporated into a subsequent proposal that will use these trait data to select native species that are functionally similar to invaders and to monitor community composition in these restored systems over time. Results from this research will contribute to an understanding of conservation issues in MCEs, which are highly diverse and increasingly threatened by human activity. The work will directly contribute to the practice of restoration by exploring how easy-to-measure plant traits can be used to select native plants that will increase invasion resistance of restored communities. In addition, this project will promote a new collaboration between an early career, female U.S. scientist at an undergraduate institution and an internationally renowned plant ecologist in Spain. An undergraduate student will participate in the activities in Spain, benefitting from close faculty-student mentoring and the opportunity to engage in international research at the early stage of an academic career.

入侵物种是全球对植被社区组成和生态系统功能最严重的威胁之一。 但是，缺乏恢复这些入侵社区所需的科学驱动技术。 一个具体的假设是，可以通过在资源使用中选择与入侵物种相似的本地物种来增强社区对入侵的抵抗力，从而增加竞争。 这是基于限制相似性的理论，该理论认为，共存物种的资源使用之间的相似性有限限制。 阐明限制相似性方法恢复的实用性的第一步是量化了各种入侵系统中天然和入侵物种之间资源使用差异的差异。 通过该项目，将从西班牙两个植被群落中的本地和侵入性植物物种收集功能性状数据。 这些数据将与来自其他三个地中海气候生态系统（MCE）的现有数据结合使用，以测试一种生态理论？限制相似性？可用于恢复入侵的植被社区。 当前催化研究的结果将纳入随后的建议中，该提案将使用这些特征数据选择与入侵者功能相似的本地物种，并随着时间的推移在这些恢复的系统中监测社区组成。 这项研究的结果将有助于理解MCE的保护问题，MCES高度多样化，受到人类活动的威胁。 这项工作将直接通过探索如何使用易于衡量的植物特征来选择将增加恢复社区耐药性的本地植物来直接有助于恢复实践。 此外，该项目将促进早期职业，一家本科机构的女性科学家与西班牙著名的植物生态学家之间的新合作。 一名本科生将参加西班牙的活动，受益于仔细的教师指导，并有机会在学术生涯的早期阶段从事国际研究。