Closing the gap between plant ecology and Quaternary palaeoecology

0432576 - BÚ 2015 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Reitalu, T. - Kuneš, Petr - Giesecke, T.
Closing the gap between plant ecology and Quaternary palaeoecology.
Journal of Vegetation Science. Roč. 25, č. 5 (2014), s. 1188-1194. ISSN 1100-9233. E-ISSN 1654-1103
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 278065 - LONGWOOD
Institutional support: RVO:67985939
Keywords : functional diversity * historical ecology * landscape reconstruction * palaeobotany
Subject RIV: EF - Botanics
Impact factor: 3.709, year: 2014

Ecology and Quaternary palaeoecology have largely developed as parallel disci- plines. Although both pursue related questions, information exchange is often hampered by particularities of the palaeoecological data and a communication gap has been perceived between the disciplines. Based on selected topics and developments mainly in Quaternary palaeoecology, we show that both disci- plines have converged somewhat during recent years, while we still see untapped potential for closer interactions. Macroecology is probably the disci- pline that most easily combines different time scales and where co-operations between palaeoecologists, geneticists and vegetation modellers have been inspiring. Quantitative vegetation reconstructions provide robust estimates of tree composition and land cover at different spatial scales, suitable for testing hypotheses about long-term vegetation changes or as quantitative background data in studies on contemporary vegetation patterns. Palaeo data also hold yet unexplored potential to study the drivers of long-term diversity, and aspects of functional diversity may facilitate comparisons between continents and over glacial–interglacial cycles.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0236939