A new global survey of 1,000 forest areas shows how past climate change has had a major impact on the diversity and distribution of the tree species we see today. The results can help to predict how ecosystems will react to future changes, helping to shape conservation management around the globe.
A research team led by Aarhus University in Denmark, in collaboration with researchers from more than 50 research institutes around the world including Northumbria University, has assessed how past climate changes have affected how the composition of tree species in one area differs from the composition of neighbouring areas on six continents.
The researchers including Dr Matthew Pound, an Associate Professor in Northumbria’s department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, examined the beta diversity – a measure of the variation of species between different habitats or areas.
They found that the global pattern of beta diversity in terms of tree species, species characteristics and evolutionary history was closely linked to temperature changes since the peak of the last Ice Age, which was about 21,000 years ago. The findings also show that the effects of historical climate variations on the beta diversity were stronger than the effects of current climatic conditions.
The researchers involved focused their studies on the angiosperm tree species – species which produce seeds that are covered with a protective layer like a seed shell. Angiosperms make up about 80 per cent of all plant species, and some of the most common angiosperm tree species are oak, beech, birch, maple, linden, maple, willow, palm, and eucalyptus.
Data sets stored in five openly shared databases of tree species and their distributions was combined as part of the study, with information on the evolutionary history or phylogenetic relations between species, and their adaptations or ecomorphological attributes.
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Posted On: 13/04/2023