Collaborative Research: IRES Track 1: Socio-ecological training in a tropical landscape

合作研究：IRES 第 1 轨道：热带景观中的社会生态培训

• 批准号: 2330189
• 负责人: Jordan Karubian
• 金额: $ 12.3万
• 依托单位: Tulane University
• 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: 2023-02-01 至 2025-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2330189&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; IRES; Track; Socio

To enhance the ability of the United States researchers and students to establish international collaborations, this IRES program provides cross-disciplinary research training and cultural enrichment in Ecuador. Over three years, the project will train 24 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students, with a recruitment focus on underrepresented groups in STEM fields. In order to investigate how variation in land management practices by residents affects the integrity of landscape ecological processes, as well as human health and well-being, participating students will conduct field research on forests, birds, and people within a fragmented tropical landscape Through intensive mentoring by U.S. and Ecuadorian researchers before, during, and after the international experience, students will gain training in developing research hypotheses and study design, collecting field data, and analysis and dissemination of research findings, including in peer-reviewed publications. By targeting students from underrepresented groups, the project will help increase the diversity of ideas and perspectives on factors that either exacerbate, or ameliorate, the effects of land management practices on environmental and human health.The research to be undertaken by U.S. students will take place within Ecuador’s Chocó Biogeographic Zone, where local management styles range from intensive deforestation for agriculture and cattle to maintaining high tree cover for hunting and sustainable harvest activities.Our over-arching hypothesis is that higher tree cover in this landscape will benefit natural systems (via promoting seed dispersal by fruit-eating vertebrates) and human systems (by improving food security and reducing thermal stress). To evaluate how tree cover effects the diversity, abundance, and foraging of fruit-eating birds, participants will be able to combine satellite imagery analysis with field-based quantification of bird population metrics, movement patterns, and fruit removal rates collected via mist-netting, radio-tracking, and fruiting trees observations. These correlational approaches may be complemented by an experiment in which nest boxes are placed in a range of habitats to determine if the availability of nesting holes limit bird populations in agricultural areas. Avian seed-dispersal data can also be evaluated in relation to forest structure, elevation, and the thermic environment to investigate its effect on seed deposition and seedling recruitment. To understand factors limiting vegetative regeneration, students can study the diversity and abundance of seeds arriving in seed traps; the effects of seed density, location, and species composition of dispersed seeds on seedling growth, survival, and demography; and impacts of herbivory through field-based experiments.To better understand how tree cover relates to human well-being, students will investigate the role of forest cover in moderating ambient temperatures and how the thermal environment directly (dehydration, heat stress) and indirectly (work patterns, food security) influences human well-being. Participants can also evaluate how land cover, gender, and market access may influence dietary patterns and human nutritional status. This will involve data collection on macronutrient and micronutrient intakes as well as anthropometric measurements of adults and children (height, weight, circumferences, and body composition). Results from this interdisciplinary research are expected to elucidate how integration of biodiversity into agriculture systems may impact both ecosystem function and human health, thereby informing how growing human populations, increased deforestation, and a warming climate may affect our planet and society.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.

为了增强美国研究人员和学生建立国际合作的能力，该IRES计划在厄瓜多尔提供了跨学科研究培训和文化丰富。在三年的时间里，该项目将培训24名美国本科生和研究生，并招募了STEM领域中代表性不足的群体。为了调查居民土地管理实践的变化如何影响景观生态过程的完整性，人类的健康和福祉，参与学生将通过美国和厄瓜多尔研究人员在国际研究中，在研究中进行研究，并在国际研究中进行研究，并在领域进行研究，并在国际研究中进行研究，并研究培训，并研究培训，并在国际研究中进行研究，并在研究中进行研究，并在国际上进行研究，并在研究中进行研究，并在研究中进行研究，并在国际上进行研究，并在研究中进行研究，并在国际上进行研究，并研究培训，并在研究过程中进行研究，并在国际上进行培训，并研究培训，并在研究中进行研究，并在研究中进行研究，并在国际研究中进行研究，并在研究过程中进行研究，并在研究中进行了研究，并研究了领域的研究，并研究了领域的研究，并在研究中进行了研究，并研究了领域的研究，并研究了领域的研究，并进行了研究，并在研究中进行研究，并研究了领域的研究。调查结果，包括在同行评审的出版物中。通过针对来自代表性不足的群体的学生，该项目将有助于提高对加剧或改善土地管理实践对环境和人类健康的影响的因素的多样性和观点。活动。目前的假设是，在这种景观中，较高的树木覆盖物将使自然系统受益（通过促进种子分散，通过吃果脊椎动物）和人类系统（改善粮食安全并减少热压力），以评估树木覆盖的效果如何影响多样性，丰富和觅食的水果鸟类，以便将鸟类量化的鸟类量化与基于卫星的分析相结合。通过雾气网，无线电跟踪和果树观察收集的指标，运动模式和水果去除率。这些相关方法可以通过一个实验完成，在该实验中，将巢箱放置在一系列栖息地中，以确定嵌套孔的可用性是否限制了农业地区的鸟类种群。还可以根据森林结构，升高和热环境评估禽种子 - 分散数据，以研究其对种子沉积和幼苗募集的影响。为了了解限制营养再生的因素，学生可以研究到达种子陷阱中种子的多样性和抽象。分散种子的种子密度，位置和物种组成对幼苗生长，生存和人口统计学的影响；通过基于现场的实验，草食生物对人的影响。为了更好地了解树覆盖与人类的福祉的关系，学生将研究森林覆盖物在调节环境温度中的作用，以及热环境如何直接（脱水，热应激）和间接（工作模式，粮食，粮食安全）影响人类的福祉。参与者还可以评估土地覆盖，性别和市场获取如何影响饮食模式和人类营养状况。这将涉及有关大量营养素和微量营养素摄入量以及成人和儿童的人体测量值（身高，体重，圆圈和身体组成）的数据收集。 Results from this interdisciplinary research are expected to elucidate how integration of biodiversity into agree systems may impact both ecosystem function and human health, thereby informing how growing human populations, increased deforestation, and a warming climate may affect our planet and society.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed precious of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.