本研究計畫擬以三年時間，針對不同熱點蛙類生殖場所的時空利用、蝌蚪種間互動，以及種間互動對生活史特徵表現的影響進行研究。本計畫的假說是:不同熱點蛙類的群聚結構的形成機制是透過(1)不同熱點氣候條件的時空變化特徵不同所導致的繁殖棲地可利用性在時空分布上的差異，導致不同熱點蛙類的繁殖的時空變化；(2)成蛙繁殖的時空變化影響不同水域的蝌蚪群聚結構，蝌蚪群聚裡所產生的種間交互作用會影響蝌蚪的存活與變態特徵表現。由於這些生活史特徵的表現可作為預期影響蝌蚪變態後存活、乃至影響其進入繁殖時的年齡與性成熟體型等與適應度(fitness)有關的特徵，因此，最終會影響熱點蛙類群聚結構。本計畫將分兩個階段執行，第一階段主要目標是透過野外調查，研究不同熱點蛙類生殖場所的時空利用，以及水中蝌蚪群聚與環境因子的關係，以瞭解影響蝌蚪群聚結構的環境因子。此外，也將分析蝌蚪消化道內含物來瞭解食性，透過食性去評估共域蝌蚪的種間互動關係與潛在的影響。第二階段主要目標是針對影響蝌蚪群聚結構的主要因子，特別是蓄水期、競爭者或掠食者等因子，進行中觀生態池實驗(mesocosm experiment)，以探討這些因子組合如何影響蝌蚪的生活史特徵。預期這些結果將有助於解釋不同熱點蝌蚪與成蛙群聚結構形成的機制。 This three-year project aims to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of breeding habitat use by frogs, and interspecific interactions in tadpoles and their effects on life history traits. I hypothesize that mechanism creating frog community structure is due to temporal and spatial variations in patterns of reproduction and breeding sites available in different frog assemblages of hotspots, and then they create different tadpole community structure in different waters. Therefore, the biological interactions created by different tadpole assemblages will affect survival and metamorphic traits of tadpoles, which will be predicted to determine fitness via affecting their post-metamorphic survival, time to and size at sexual maturity, overall affecting population recruitment, and finally influence frog community. The project will be divided into two parts temporally. In the first part, I will evaluate factors affecting tadpole community structure via investigating temporal and spatial patterns of breeding habitat use by frogs and the relationships between tadpole assemblages and environmental factors. Additionally, I also study diet of tadpoles by analyzing their gut contents to evaluate biological interactions and their potential effects on sympatric tadpole species. In the second part, I will study how multi-factor such as hydroperiod, competitors, and predators influences life history traits of sympatric tadpole species by conducting mesocosm experiments. Results of this study will be helpful to explain mechanisms creating tadpole and frog community structures in different hotspots.
