DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Phenological shifts and species interactions: Disentangling the role of timing and synchrony

论文研究：物候变化和物种相互作用：理清时间和同步的作用

• 批准号: 1210867
• 负责人: Volker Rudolf
• 金额: $ 1.49万
• 依托单位: William Marsh Rice University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-07-01 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1210867&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Phenological; shifts; species

Seasonal weather changes determine the timing of many life-history events, including bird migration, plant flowering, and frog breeding. However, the specific set of weather cues that signal these events differs among species; some species may respond to temperature, others to rainfall. Therefore, year-to-year differences in weather can result in different responses among species, which can alter the timing of when species arrive or become active in a given area and which other species they may encounter. This could affect the outcome of species interactions, such competition or predation. The investigators of this project will experimentally manipulate colonization patterns of newly-hatched insects and amphibians in ponds. Specifically, they will vary arrival synchrony of individuals within a species as well as arrival time of species relative to one another. The goal is to determine how differences in arrival time and synchrony affect growth rates and survival of interacting species. Understanding how seasonal variation impacts species interactions is crucial because global climate change is altering the annual activities of species throughout the world. Although many studies have documented such "phenological shifts," the consequences for species interactions -- and ultimately the biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems -- remain poorly known. To help complete this project, the investigators will hire and mentor an undergraduate student, who will be recruited from the Rice NSF AGEP program (a program that seeks to increase underrepresented groups in science). Also, the investigators are organizing a citizen scientist project to monitor the phenologies of local plants and animals, with the goal of training community members to generate data for a National Phenology Network program, called Nature's Notebook. Data contributed to this program are used by scientists, educators, policy-makers, and resource managers to understand the effects of climate change and other environmental changes.

季节性的天气变化决定了许多生活历史事件的时机，包括鸟类迁移，植物开花和青蛙育种。 但是，这些事件的特定天气提示在物种之间有所不同。有些物种可能会对温度做出反应，而另一些物种则对降雨进行反应。 因此，天气的年度差异可能会导致物种之间的不同反应，这可能会改变物种到达或在给定区域中活跃的时间以及它们可能遇到的其他物种的时间。 这可能会影响物种相互作用的结果，例如竞争或捕食。 该项目的研究人员将通过实验操纵池塘中新围场的昆虫和两栖动物的定植模式。 具体而言，它们将改变个体在一个物种中的到达同步，以及物种相对于彼此的到达时间。 目的是确定到达时间和同步的差异如何影响相互作用物种的生长速率和存活。 了解季节性变化如何影响物种相互作用至关重要，因为全球气候变化正在改变全球物种的年度活动。 尽管许多研究都记录了这种“物候转移”，但物种相互作用的后果以及最终的生物多样性和生态系统的功能仍然鲜为人知。 为了帮助完成该项目，调查人员将聘请和指导一名本科生，该学生将从RICE NSF AGEP计划（该计划旨在增加科学领域代表性不足的群体）中招募。 此外，调查人员正在组织一个公民科学家项目，以监测当地动植物的物质，目的是培训社区成员为国家物候网络计划生成数据，称为自然笔记本。 科学家，教育者，政策制定者和资源经理使用了对该计划的数据，以了解气候变化和其他环境变化的影响。