A5062060675- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
- Scientific Computing and Data Management
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Climate Change Communication and Perception
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
University of Maine
2015-2024
Ecological Society of America
2019-2020
University of Missouri
2018
University of Wisconsin–Madison
2009-2013
Brown University
2013
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
2011
John Brown University
2009
Significance The current biodiversity crisis is often depicted as a struggle to preserve untouched habitats. Here, we combine global maps of human populations and land use over the past 12,000 y with data show that nearly three quarters terrestrial nature has long been shaped by diverse histories habitation Indigenous traditional peoples. With rare exceptions, losses are caused not conversion or degradation ecosystems, but rather appropriation, colonization, intensification in lands...
Demise of the Megafauna Approximately 10,000 years ago, Pleistocene-Holocene deglaciation in North America produced widespread biotic and environmental change, including extinctions megafauna, reorganization plant communities, increased wildfire. The causal links sequences these changes remain unclear. Gill et al. (p. 1100 ; see Perspective by Johnson ) unravel connections an analysis pollen, charcoal, dung fungus Sporormiella from sediments Appleman Lake, Indiana. decline Pleistocene...
Managed relocation (MR) has rapidly emerged as a potential intervention strategy in the toolbox of biodiversity management under climate change. Previous authors have suggested that MR (also referred to assisted colonization, migration, or translocation) could be last-alternative option after interrogating linear decision tree. We argue numerous interacting and value-laden considerations demand more inclusive for evaluating MR. The pace modern change demands making with imperfect...
Managed relocation is defined as the movement of species, populations, or genotypes to places outside areas their historical distributions maintain biological diversity ecosystem functioning with changing climate. It has been claimed that a major extinction event under way and climate change increasing its severity. Projections indicating may drive substantial losses biodiversity have compelled some scientists suggest traditional management strategies are insufficient. The managed species...
Summary Priority question exercises are becoming an increasingly common tool to frame future agendas in conservation and ecological science. They effective way identify research foci that advance the field also have high policy relevance. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions priority areas for palaeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical molecular techniques order reconstruct past environmental systems on time‐scales from decades millions years. We adapted...
Most conservation planning to date has focused on protecting today's biodiversity with the assumption that it will be tomorrow's biodiversity. However, modern climate change already resulted in distributional shifts of some species and is projected result many more coming decades. As redistribute biotic communities reorganize, plans based current patterns may fail adequately protect future. One approach for addressing this issue focus conserving a range abiotic conditions...
ABSTRACT Over the course of last decade concept Anthropocene has become widely established within and beyond geoscientific literature but its boundaries remain undefined. Formal definition as a chronostratigraphical series geochronological epoch following Holocene, at fixed horizon with precise global start date, been proposed, fails to account for diachronic nature human impacts on environmental systems during late Quaternary. By contrast, defining an ongoing geological event more closely...
Summary Megaherbivores likely had important influences on past vegetation dynamics, just as they do in modern ecosystems. The exact nature of megaherbivores' role can be studied using a relatively new suite palaeoecological techniques, including the quantification fossil spores from Sporormiella and other coprophilous fungi indicators megafaunal biomass sediment records. However, quantitative linkage spore abundance with megaherbivore or grazing intensity has been lacking. Konza Prairie...
Philip L. Gibbard, Andrew M. Bauer, Matthew Edgeworth, William F. Ruddiman, Jacquelyn Gill, Dorothy J. Merritts, Stanley C. Finney, Lucy E. Edwards, Michael Walker, Mark Maslin, Erle Ellis. Episodes 2022;45:349-57. https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/2021/021029
Abstract Aim Climatic equilibrium is a foundational principle in ecological theory and models used conservation, but has been challenged by growing evidence of disequilibrium, particularly for long‐lived, sessile organisms like trees. Here, we calculated range filling North American trees to detect the degree which are their potential climatic niches, assess non‐climatic drivers underfilling. Location America (22°N–72°N). Taxon Trees shrubs. Methods We modelled ranges 447 tree shrub species...
As the earth system moves to a novel state, model systems (experimental, observational, paleoecological) are needed assess and improve predictive accuracy of ecological models under environments with no contemporary analog. In recent years, we have intensively studied no‐analog plant associations climates in eastern North America during last deglaciation better constrain their spatiotemporal distribution, test hypotheses about climatic megaherbivory controls, species‐ community‐level models....
ABSTRACT The Importance of the Regional Species Pool regional species pool—the set capable entering a local community—is foundational concept for understanding ecological processes that occur between and extensive (biogeographic) spatial scales. However, lack precise definitions pool, coupled with limited research into dynamics biodiversity, has impeded development comprehensive framework to explain mechanisms shaping these pools. Processes Governing Pools Although at scales are relatively...
Human activities are causing taxonomic rearrangements across ecosystems that often result in the emergence of novel communities (assemblies with no historical representative). It is commonly assumed these changes makeup also inevitably lead to other aspects biodiversity, namely functional and phylogenetic diversity. However, this assumption not always valid, as composition resulting from shifts depend on level redundancy evaluated community. Therefore, we need improved theoretical frameworks...
When Darwin visited the Falkland Islands in 1833, he noted puzzling occurrence of islands’ sole terrestrial mammal, Dusicyon australis (or “warrah”). The warrah’s origins have been debated, and prehistoric human transport was previously rejected because a lack evidence pre-European activity Islands. We report several lines indicating that humans were present centuries before Europeans, including (i) an abrupt increase fire activity, (ii) deposits mixed marine vertebrates predate European...
Mesic tree species such as Fagus grandifolia and Tsuga canadensis experienced multiple abundance declines in eastern North America during the last 8000 years, but causes remain unclear. This paper presents a new sub-centennial record of Holocene vegetation, fire sedimentological changes at Spicer Lake, IN, to test hypotheses about role hydrological variations on shifts vegetation composition. Four pollen zones are reported: Abies–Picea forests (15–11.8 ka BP), Pinus-dominated mixed forest...