U.S.-Taiwan Cooperative Research: Canopy Arthropod Responses to Storm Disturbances at U.S. and Taiwanese LTER Sites

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

0107485 Schowalter This is a three-year cooperative project between Dr. Tim Schowalter, Oregon State University, and Dr. Jung-Tai Chao, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, to study canopy Arthropod responses to storm disturbances at the U.S. and Taiwan LTER sites. Specifically, this project will compare the arthropod response to storm disturbances in early and late successful forests in wet temperate and tropical forests. This is a good cross-site comparison that uses the facilities available from LTER sites in Taiwan and the United States to study a very important question: assessing the impacts by storm disturbances on natural ecosystems. The proposed study could provide a basis of understanding the process that regulates insect diversity and functional roles in wet forest ecosystems. This project also provides an opportunity for a U.S. graduate student to work in Pacific subtropical ecosystems. This proposal addresses an important scientific question and meets the NSF objective of human resource development. The National Science Council of Taiwan and the NSF jointly support this project.