RUI: Testing metacommunity models in forested vernal wetlands using a multi-taxa, multi-year approach

RUI：使用多类群、多年的方法测试森林春季湿地的元群落模型

• 批准号: 1256142
• 负责人: Amanda Little
• 金额: $ 55万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Stout
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-05-01 至 2018-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1256142&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Testing; metacommunity; models; forested

Many natural areas persist as habitat patches within a larger developed landscape. Species communities in these patches fluctuate over time as a consequence of local extinction, dispersal between patches, and interactions between species. Metacommunity theory is an organizing framework for understanding how networks of communities assemble and change, and can help resource managers make decisions about habitat and species conservation. There is a strong need to test metacommunity theory, though, at field scales relevant to conservation questions. This project examines forested vernal wetlands, which provide ideal systems for testing metacommunity theory. Vernal wetlands may flood in the spring and dry completely each year and frequently contain species adapted to these unique environmental conditions. They tend to be small and difficult to detect on the landscape, but they provide critical breeding habitat for amphibians and aquatic insects. Insects, amphibians, plants, and water chemistry will be studied in sixty wetlands within Wisconsin's Chippewa Moraine region over five years in order to capture the effects of environmental variability on community structure. The role of more permanent wetlands as sources of organisms for vernal wetland communities will also be evaluated. Finally, field experiments will provide insight into how community history affects species presence and abundance. These studies will help determine the relative contributions of environmental variation, species interactions, community history, and landscape position on community composition. Conserving forested vernal wetlands is a priority in efforts to protect aquatic biodiversity, and understanding how metacommunities function in these unique systems is critical to protecting them. Research findings from this project will be incorporated into ecological landscape management plans for use by forest managers. The project will involve numerous undergraduates in research experiences and will increase the number of under-represented groups and first-generation college students pursuing STEM fields.

许多自然区域持续存在，因为较大的发达景观中的栖息地斑块。这些斑块中的物种群落随着时间的流逝而波动，由于局部灭绝，斑块之间的扩散以及物种之间的相互作用。 Metacommunity理论是一个组织框架，用于了解社区网络如何组装和改变，并可以帮助资源经理对栖息地和物种保护做出决策。但是，在与保护问题有关的现场量表上，需要测试元社会理论。该项目研究了森林的春季湿地，这为测试元社会理论提供了理想的系统。春季湿地可能会在春季泛滥，每年完全干燥，并且经常包含适合这些独特环境条件的物种。它们往往很小，很难在景观上检测到，但是它们为两栖动物和水生昆虫提供了关键的繁殖栖息地。 昆虫，两栖动物，植物和水化学将在五年内在威斯康星州的奇佩瓦冰or区的六十个湿地中进行研究，以捕获环境变异性对社区结构的影响。还将评估更永久的湿地作为春季湿地社区的生物来源的作用。最后，现场实验将提供有关社区历史如何影响物种存在和丰富的见解。这些研究将有助于确定环境变化，物种相互作用，社区历史和景观地位对社区组成的相对贡献。 保护森林的春季湿地是保护水生生物多样性的优先事项，并且了解元社区在这些独特系统中的功能对于保护它们至关重要。该项目的研究结果将纳入森林经理使用的生态景观管理计划中。该项目将涉及研究经验的众多本科生，并将增加代表性不足的群体和第一代大学生追求STEM领域的数量。