Plant-herbivore-climate interactions in dynamic northern and alpine environments

北部和高山动态环境中植物-草食动物-气候的相互作用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06691
• 负责人: Hik, David
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=653560
• 关键词: Plant; herbivore; climate; interactions; dynamic

Ecologists have long debated how various factors determine when and where predators (top-down forces) or resources (bottom-up forces) or abiotic influences (e.g. weather and climate) will be predominant in different ecosystems. Increasingly it seems that complex trophic interactions can lead to unexpected outcomes, and that external, abiotic forcing can override biotic interactions in strongly seasonal environments.  Being able to better predict the responses of northern and alpine environments to disturbance at different scales is essential for developing viable strategies for conserving biodiversity, restoring degraded habitats, and managing the consequences of climate change. My research program is focused on understanding plant-herbivore-climate interactions in northern alpine environments. The focal study areas for this research program are located in the mountains of the southwest Yukon, in the Ruby Ranges east of Kluane Lake (61° N, 141° W). This proposal further develops several research themes that are integrated into a long-term (since 1995) program, including (1) Evaluation of the demographic, behavioural and physiological responses of alpine herbivores (invertebrates and vertebrates) to inter-annual variation in climate, especially seasonal snow cover; (2) Determination of the effects of resource availability and predation risk on the behaviour and demography of mammalian herbivore populations (pikas, marmots, ground squirrels), as model system for testing the predictions of the trophic exploitation models; (3) Measurement of the responses of alpine vegetation to different levels of natural and experimental herbivory and interannual variation in climate, at physiological, demographic and community levels; (4) Construction of regional models to assess the influence of landscape-level processes (e.g. snow, treeline and shrubline dynamics, etc) on biodiversity and ecosystem processes; and 5) Development of mechanisms for ensuring sustainability of northern and alpine environments, through long-term monitoring, education, outreach, and integration of scientific and community-based knowledge.**

生态学家长期以来一直在争论各种因素如何决定捕食者（自上而下的力量）或资源（自下而上的力量）或非生物影响（例如天气和气候）何时何地在不同的生态系统中占据主导地位。导致意想不到的结果，并且外部非生物强迫可以超越强季节性环境中的生物相互作用，能够更好地预测北部和高山环境对不同规模干扰的反应对于开发可行的至关重要。保护生物多样性、恢复退化栖息地的策略以及气候变化的后果我的研究项目重点是了解北部高山环境中的植物-草食动物-气候相互作用。该研究项目的重点研究区域位于西南山区。育空地区，位于克鲁恩湖以东的红宝石山脉（北纬 61°，西经 141°） 该提案进一步发展了几个研究主题，这些主题已纳入长期（自 1995 年以来）计划中。包括（1）评估高山食草动物（无脊椎动物和脊椎动物）对气候年际变化，特别是季节性积雪的人口、行为和生理反应；（2）确定资源可用性和捕食风险对行为的影响；哺乳动物食草动物种群（鼠兔、土拨鼠、地松鼠）的人口统计，作为测试营养利用模型预测的模型系统；高山植被在生理、人口和群落层面对不同水平的自然和实验食草和气候年际变化的响应；（4）构建区域模型以评估景观水平过程（例如雪、林线和灌木丛动态）的影响；等）生物多样性和生态系统进程；以及 5）通过长期监测、教育、推广以及科学和社区知识的整合，制定确保北部和高山环境可持续性的机制。**