Dissertation Research: Dispersal of moss spores by birds: elucidating the mechanisms of behaviorally enhanced bryophyte dispersal networks

论文研究：鸟类传播苔藓孢子：阐明行为增强苔藓植物传播网络的机制

基本信息

批准号：
1701756
负责人：
Sarah Eppley
金额：
$ 1.93万
依托单位：
Portland State University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2017-06-01 至 2020-05-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1701756&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Dissertation Research Dispersal moss spores

项目摘要

Individual animals and plants often move from their places of birth to new locations, where they live out their lives. This movement, known as "dispersal", is important in ecology because it largely determines where species are found, which species come in contact with each other, and the services they can then provide to nature and to humans. Sometimes, plants depend on animals for dispersal. Many trees and shrubs, for example, rely on birds to eat their fruits and defecate their seeds somewhere else. Mosses may also rely on birds for dispersal of spores, which are like seeds, but practically nothing is known about it. Researchers will study how often spores are found on the feathers of birds and whether the spores are actually dispersed by the birds. Mosses play an important role in ecosystems by contributing to nutrient cycling, maintaining water, and providing nesting material and places to forage for many forest animals. By understanding the relationship between moss dispersal and bird behavior, managers and policy makers will have a more complete picture of how land use decisions influence the use and conservation of natural resources.Dispersal is a key process shaping ecological communities over time. Behaviorally-mediated dispersal via an association with an animal vector can greatly increase the chances of arriving in a favorable locale. While the impact of avian dispersal of seed plants has been widely studied and is known to impact dispersal outcomes, avian dispersal of bryophyte spores has received little attention. Preliminary work has shown that bryophyte spores are present on a wide variety of bird species, and that these spores are viable. In addition, there is evidence for species-specific relationships between birds and bryophytes. Building on this work, this project has two aims: 1) to determine how behaviorally-directed dispersal by birds differs from bulk spore flow via wind, and 2) to determine the topical retention time of spores on birds. Results from the second aim will be incorporated into a model of flight distance times to address the likelihood of long distance spore dispersal by birds. Together, these aims will enhance understanding of bryophyte dispersal ecology and will provide a comparative model that can be used to test theories developed in tracheophytes.

单个动物和植物经常从出生地转移到他们过着生活的新地方。这种运动被称为“分散”，在生态学中很重要，因为它在很大程度上确定了在哪里发现物种，哪些物种相互接触，然后它们可以向自然和人类提供的服务。有时，植物依靠动物进行分散。例如，许多树木和灌木都依靠鸟类吃水果，并将其种子排便在其他地方。苔藓也可能依靠鸟类来分散孢子，就像种子一样，但实际上对此一无所知。研究人员将研究在鸟类羽毛上发现孢子的频率，以及孢子是否真的被鸟类分散。苔藓在生态系统中起着重要的作用，可以为许多森林动物提供营养循环，维持水并提供筑巢物质和饲料场所。通过了解苔藓传播与鸟类行为之间的关系，管理者和政策制定者将对土地使用决策如何影响自然资源的使用和保护进行更完整的了解。Dispersal是随着时间的推移塑造生态社区的关键过程。通过与动物矢量的关联进行行为介导的分散，可以大大增加在有利的地方到达的机会。尽管已经广泛研究了种子植物的鸟类分散的影响，并且众所周知会影响分散结果，但鸟类孢子的鸟类分散很少受到关注。初步工作表明，苔藓植物孢子存在于多种鸟类上，并且这些孢子是可行的。此外，还有证据表明鸟类与苔藓植物之间的物种特异性关系。在这项工作的基础上，该项目有两个目标：1）确定鸟类以风的散布流动方式的行为导向的分散与风向的散布以及2）确定鸟类在鸟类上的局部保留时间。第二个目标的结果将被纳入飞行距离时间的模型，以解决鸟类长孢子分散的可能性。这些目标共同增强了对苔藓植物分散生态学的理解，并将提供一个比较模型，可用于测试在气管植物中开发的理论。