Collaborative Research: OPUS: Beavers as Boreal Ecosystem Engineers

合作研究：OPUS：海狸作为北方生态系统工程师

• 批准号: 1349240
• 负责人: Carol Johnston
• 金额: $ 12.69万
• 依托单位: South Dakota State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-04-01 至 2017-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1349240&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; OPUS; Beavers; Boreal

There is a critical need for ecologists and land managers to understand the potential magnitude, persistence, and ecosystem services of beaver landscape transformation. This OPUS proposal will integrate the results of four previous NSF awards relating to beaver ecosystem alteration, bringing the findings together into works that will analyze the dynamics of a beaver-altered landscape at Voyageurs National Park. The 86-year record of beaver landscape occupation and alteration documented from aerial photography and field work provides a unique perspective of the ecosystem effects and sustainability of beaver activity. The objective is to synthesize the vegetative, water, soil, and biogeochemical alterations associated with beaver impoundments. The aims are to produce a book based on the 37 articles that the researchers have published from prior NSF-funded research, and a monograph about beaver pond/meadow transitions in the landscape that combines datasets documenting beaver pond creation and changes with recent updates about beaver ponds and populations commissioned by the National Park Service. This project will also transfer the previously collected datasets from their current in-house data management system to a public open-format repository. The results of this project will inform other scientists and managers about the sustainability and long-term ecosystem effects of beaver activity that is still expanding in much of North America. Undergraduate researchers will be recruited from the newly-formed South Dakota State University chapter of SEEDS - Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability. This project will contribute to the training of a graduate student who is researching beaver pond sustainability under separate funding. The project will strengthen pedagogy as the researchers will use elements from this OPUS synthesis in an Ecosystem Ecology class. The National Park Service will publicize and help disseminate the resulting publications, and will also ensure that scientific findings are incorporated into interpretive programs, web and print media, wayside exhibits, and visitor centers to reach a wide and diverse audience. Finally, the project will benefit society by contributing to land management, both directly at Voyageurs National Park and indirectly at locations throughout the continent where beaver populations are expanding.

生态学家和土地管理者迫切需要了解海狸景观转化的潜在幅度，持久性和生态系统服务。该作品提案将整合有关Beaver生态系统改变的四个以前的NSF奖项的结果，从而将调查结果融合在一起，这些发现将分析Voyageurs国家公园的Beaver改变景观的动态。空中摄影和现场工作记录的海狸景观占用和变更的86年记录为海狸活动的生态系统效果和可持续性提供了独特的观点。目的是合成与海狸蓄水池相关的营养，水，土壤和生物地球化学改变。其目的是根据研究人员从先前的NSF资助的研究中发表的37篇文章制作一本书，以及关于景观中的海狸池塘/草地过渡的专着，该专着结合了记录海狸池塘创建的数据集并与国家公园服务公司委托的有关Beaver Ponds和人群的最新更新。该项目还将将先前收集的数据集从其当前的内部数据管理系统转移到公共开放格式存储库。该项目的结果将向其他科学家和经理告知海狸活动的可持续性和长期生态系统影响，而北美大部分地区仍在不断扩大。本科研究人员将从新成立的南达科他州立大学种子分会招募 - 生态教育，多样性和可持续性的战略。 该项目将有助于培训一个正在研究海狸池塘可持续性下的研究生。该项目将加强教学法，因为研究人员将在生态系统生态学类中使用该作品合成的元素。国家公园管理局（National Park Service）将宣传并帮助传播由此产生的出版物，还将确保将科学发现纳入解释性计划，网络和印刷媒体，路边展览以及游客中心，以吸引广泛而多样的受众。最后，该项目将通过直接在Voyageurs国家公园和在海狸人口不断扩大的整个大陆的地点间接地在国家公园中为土地管理做出贡献，从而使社会受益。