
NSF Org: |
EF Emerging Frontiers |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | January 8, 2013 |
Latest Amendment Date: | May 5, 2014 |
Award Number: | 1241932 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
Timothy Kratz
EF Emerging Frontiers BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
Start Date: | February 15, 2013 |
End Date: | January 31, 2017 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $715,187.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $725,985.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2014 = $4,672.00 |
History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2550 NORTHWESTERN AVE # 1100 WEST LAFAYETTE IN US 47906-1332 (765)494-1055 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
155 S Grant Street West Lafayette IN US 47907-2114 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): | MacroSysBIO & NEON-Enabled Sci |
Primary Program Source: |
01001415DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
Invasions of exotic species pose major threats to many ecosystems and result in significant ecosystem degradation and economic loss. Research on exotic invasions has been a major topic in the last two decades and much knowledge has been gained from research done on small plots. However, current understanding of the long-term invasion process at regional to continental scales is limited, in part because long-term and large-scale empirical information is lacking. This project uses a new research framework constructed using functional traits (for example, life history information) that includes all three major invasion components: the invader, the recipient system, and the drivers that facilitate the invader, all examined across scales of both time and space. The overarching goal of this exploratory project is to establish a regional network of scientists and practitioners to develop a regional scale predictive model of invasion dynamics under this new framework. The specific aims of the project are (1) to develop an interdisciplinary team for constructing a regional to continental scale invasive modeling framework, ensuring that it is also relevant to invasion management, (2) to develop a comprehensive regional database that includes invader functional traits and current distributions, recipient system characteristics, and multi-dimensional invasion driver characteristics, and (3) to develop a new, multi-scale invasion modeling framework based on functional traits for an invader, an invasion driver, and a recipient system and use the model to explore cross-scale interactions.
The outcomes of the proposed project will position the research team to develop a new generation of accurate predictive models for regional scale invasion forecasting, which will assist researchers and natural resource managers to examine what-if scenarios in the short term (5-10 years) and long term (50-100 years). The new research framework should also be easily applied to invasive species study in other regions and on other continents. In addition, the conceptual framework can be used as a mechanism to advance the field of invasion ecology by formulating new invasion theories and unifying existing hypotheses. Results of the proposed research will also have direct societal benefits. Applications to invasion management will help prevent and mitigate economic and ecological damages caused by invasive species. The project will have high impact on education as well. Two postdoctoral fellows and two PhD Fellows will be supported to conduct related research, along with six undergraduate scholars and four interns. Emphasis in recruiting will be on underrepresented and female students.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Invasion of exotic species poses a major threat to many ecosystems, resulting significant ecosystem degradation and economic loss. Our functional-trait based research framework helps to advance invasion biology by incorporating all three major invasion components (invaders, invasion drivers, and recipient systems) with the consideration of temporal progression and spatial dependency. Key outcomes of the project includes: 1) a macrosystems invasion framework that can be easily transferred to invasive species study in the other regions and other continents, which will help to advance the understanding of macrosystems invasion ecology, 2) a comprehensive set of geo-databases that are beneficial not only to invasive species research, but also to other natural resources management and conservation, and 3) statistical tools to handle scale related heterogeneity that can be applied in other macroscale studies.
We have disseminated our research findings to communities of interest through the publication of journal articles (25 total), organizing symposiums and workshops (6 total), and giving invited talks (21 total) and contributed presentations (61 total) at regional, national, and international meetings. The project helped the training of next generation scientists in macrosystem ecology, increased diversity in future workforce by recruiting female and underrepresented students, and instilled interests and excitements in next generation scientists in macrosystem ecology through various meetings, workshops and symposiums. A total of four undergraduates, three graduates, and three postdocs have been trained on macrosystems invasion ecology through this project. One of the key research outcomes, the national distribution of invasive species, has been made available to the public free of charge through an online mapping tool (http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~sfei/midas-data-products.php), which will greatly assist proactive and effective management and prevention of exotic invasion.
Last Modified: 05/01/2017
Modified by: Songlin Fei
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