BRC-BIO: Investigating ecophysiological strategies and drought tolerance of temperate lianas

BRC-BIO：研究温带藤本植物的生态生理策略和耐旱性

• 批准号: 2233415
• 负责人: Dianne Pater
• 金额: $ 46.47万
• 依托单位: Vassar College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-06-01 至 2026-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2233415&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: BRC; BIO; Investigating; ecophysiological; strategies

The concept of global change encompasses not only the direct alteration of the Earth’s climate and atmosphere, but also other human-driven mechanisms which alter the biosphere. Land transformation, overexploitation of natural populations, and exotic species invasions are driving global changes that impact biodiversity and quality of life. Woody vines, known as lianas, are structural parasites that use the structure of nearby trees to gain access to the sunlit canopy and can cause damage or death to the underlying trees. Understanding how these plants access resources such as light and water can inform strategies to control their spread. This project will compare physiological processes, such as photosynthesis and hydraulics, of invasive and native woody vines to characterize traits that contribute to their successful establishment in forested areas. This research will enhance the research skills of undergraduate students via its integration into a plant physiology class and independent research projects at Vassar College, a primarily undergraduate institution. Students involved in the project will do scientific communication outreach to local schools, allowing the students to improve communication skills and improving access to science and its applications at the K-12 level. Research sites will include identified urban forests of Poughkeepsie, NY to inform restoration and conservation plans in large city and town parks. This project will include presentations to local community groups, as well as city parks and planning departments, to encourage community involvement with invasive species control.Global ecosystems are under pressure from many factors including climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, and biological invasion. As non-native plant species compete with native species for resources, understanding their physiology can improve predictions of competition and environmental responses to inform conservation decisions. Introduced temperate lianas, such as Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelain berry) and Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet), have been identified as invasive species of concern in the eastern United States. Since they require proximity to trees in order to access the canopy, lianas often germinate in the lower light intensities of the forest understory and must respond quickly to available light to maximize growth. Understory light occurs in patches of intermittent duration and varied size, so maintaining photosynthetic assimilation rates and water use efficiency during these sunflecks is essential for success. The objectives of this proposal are three-fold: 1) to compare photosynthetic and morphological characteristics of competing native and non-native lianas under varied light conditions, 2) quantify the growth traits, biomass allocation, anatomy, and hydraulics of the study species, and 3) investigate light acquisition and hydraulic strategies of these plants under water deficit to simulate climate change scenarios. Complementary measurements of photosynthetic assimilation, alongside rapid chlorophyll fluorescence and stomatal conductance measurements, will allow the researchers to characterize several traits, including maximum rates of electron transport and carbon assimilation, conductance of CO2 through the stomata and into the leaf, and non-photochemical quenching. Studies of the plants’ anatomy and hydraulics will improve understanding of the different species’ responses to variable environmental conditions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

全球变化的概念不仅包含地球气候和大气的直接改变，还包括改变生物圈的其他人类驱动机制。土地转变，自然种群过度开发以及外来物种入侵正在推动全球变化，影响生物多样性和生活质量。木藤，称为Lianas，是结构性寄生虫，使用近树木的结构来进入阳光的树冠，并可能对下面的树木造成损害或死亡。了解这些植物如何获取光和水等资源可以为控制其传播的策略提供信息。该项目将比较侵入性和本地木本藤蔓等物理过程，例如光合作用和水力学，以表征有助于其在森林地区成功建立的特征。这项研究将通过将本科生纳入植物生理学课程和独立研究项目（瓦萨学院（Vassar College）的独立研究项目，从而提高本科生的研究技能。参与该项目的学生将向当地学校进行科学沟通的宣传，使学生能够提高沟通技巧，并在K-12水平上提高对科学及其应用的访问。研究地点将包括确定的纽约州波基普西市的城市森林，以告知大城市和城镇公园的恢复和保护计划。该项目将包括向当地社区团体以及城市公园和规划部门的介绍，以鼓励社区参与入侵物种控制。全球生态系统面临着许多因素的压力，包括气候变化，栖息地丧失和分裂以及生物学入侵。由于非本地植物物种与本地物种竞争资源，因此了解其生理学可以改善对竞争和环境反应的预测，以提供保护决策。在美国东部，引入了温带的Lianas，例如Ampelopsis Brevipedunculata（瓷浆果）和Celastrus Orbiculatus（Asiatic Bittersweet），已被确定为美国东部的入侵物种。由于它们需要靠近树木才能进入树冠，因此lianas通常会在森林理解的较低光强度下发芽，并且必须迅速响应可用的光，以最大程度地提高生长。林上的光在间歇性持续时间和大小变化的斑块中出现，因此在这些阳光充足期间保持光合同化速率和用水效率对于成功至关重要。该提案的目标是三个方面：1）比较不同光条件下的光合作用和形态学特征，2）量化研究物种的生长特征，生物量分配，解剖学和水合物以及3）研究植物在水中的植物中，以下造成了这些植物，以调查这些工厂在水中限制水中的策略。光同步荧光和气门电导测量值的互补测量将使研究人员能够表征多种性状，包括电子传输和碳同化的最大速率，CO2通过气孔和叶片中的co2电导，并进入叶片，以及非光化化学化学的淬火。对植物解剖学和液压的研究将提高人们对不同物种对可变环境条件的反应的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，通过评估来诚实地支持。