REU: Collaborative Research: Spatial Scaling and the Effects of Patch Mosaic Structure in Semiarid Ecosystems
{'Code': '08010208', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'James R. Gosz'}
Ecosystems consist of mosaics of landscape elements or                     patches, and this patchiness is evident at many spatial scales.                 This research will answer two general questions: (1) Are                        landscape patterns repetitive over different spatial scales?, and               (2) How does the patch structure of a landscape mosaic affect                   ecosystem dynamics and functions?  The first question will be                   addressed by determining the patterns of distribution of patches                (vegetation and disturbed areas as well as distributions of                     arthropod populations) at nested spatial scales ranging from <1                 m2 to >10 km2 in semiarid ecosystems.  By determining the degree                of repetitiveness of mosaic patterns over ranges of scales in                   both Euclidean and fractal dimensions, one can assess the domains               in which ecological patterns and processes operate independently                of scale.  These domains set the limits within which results from               studies at any particular scale can be extrapolated to other                    scales.  Establishing these limits is of critical importance to                 any attempts to derive generalizations about ecological patterns                or processes in landscape mosaics or to compare the results of                  investigations of different ecological systems.                                      To address the second question, the movement patterns of                   biotic vectors (ants and beetles) will be studied at fine to                    intermediate scales to determine how they relate to the patch-                  mosaic structure of the landscapes.  By experimentally altering                 the patch structure of local environments or the movement                       patterns of animals, the roles that these organisms may play in                 the redistribution of materials or energy among patches in these                ecosystems will be estimated.  To the extent that the                           investigations indicate repetitiveness of patterns over a range                 of spatial scales, the studies conducted at fine scales may serve               as a "microcosm" representing larger-scale landscape mosaics.                   Thus, although micro and macro-scale systems may differ                         biologically, they may share statistical similarities in                        patterns, allowing the development of procedures for                            experimentally investigating the movement of materials among                    elements in a landscape by focusing on fine-scale analogs of                    macro-landscapes.                                                                    Research of this nature may be of fundamental importance in                promoting the better management of the natural resources of arid                lands.  Additionally, there could be heretofore unrecognized                    benefits that would derive from the use of new mathematical                     approaches to the analysis of ecological data.
{'FirstName': 'John', 'LastName': 'Wiens', 'EmailAddress': 'jaws@lamar.colostate.edu', 'StartDate': '08/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Colorado State University', 'CityName': 'Fort Collins', 'ZipCode': '805232002', 'PhoneNumber': '9704916355', 'StreetAddress': '601 S Howes St', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Colorado', 'StateCode': 'CO'}
[{'Code': '1128', 'Text': 'Population & Community Ecology'}, {'Code': '9120', 'Text': 'CROSS-DIRECTORATE PROGRAMS'}, {'Code': '9145', 'Text': 'SPECIAL PROGRAMS-RESERVE'}]
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8805829.xml'}