Richard Field
A5019550850- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant and animal studies
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Geotourism and Geoheritage Conservation
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Forest ecology and management
- Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Agricultural pest management studies
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Climate change impacts on agriculture
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
- Statistics Education and Methodologies
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Tree Root and Stability Studies
University of Nottingham
2016-2025
University of Georgia
1998-2024
Agricultural Research Service
2024
University of Bologna
2020
University of L'Aquila
2020
Universidad de Oviedo
2020
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
2020
University of Bergen
2020
Goethe University Frankfurt
2020
University of Bayreuth
2020
It is often claimed that we do not understand the forces driving global diversity gradient. However, an extensive literature suggests contemporary climate constrains terrestrial taxonomic richness over broad geographic extents. Here, review empirical to examine nature and form of relationship between richness. Our goals were document support for climatically based energy hypothesis, within constraints imposed by correlative analyses, evaluate two versions hypothesis: productivity ambient...
Aim Current weaknesses of diversity theory include: a failure to distinguish different biogeographical response variables under the general heading diversity; and ecological deal adequately with geographical scale. Our aim is articulate case for top‐down approach building, in which scale addressed explicitly are clearly distinguished. Location The article draws upon both theoretical contributions empirical analyses from all latitudes, focusing on terrestrial ecosystems some bias towards...
Abstract Broad‐scale variation in taxonomic richness is strongly correlated with climate. Many mechanisms have been hypothesized to explain these patterns; however, testable predictions that would distinguish among them rarely derived. Here, we examine several prominent hypotheses for climate–richness relationships, deriving and testing based on their mechanisms. The ‘energy–richness hypothesis’ (also called the ‘more individuals hypothesis’) postulates more productive areas therefore...
Abstract Aim We surveyed the empirical literature to determine how well six diversity hypotheses account for spatial patterns in species richness across varying scales of grain and extent. Location Worldwide. Methods identified 393 analyses (‘cases’) 297 publications meeting our criteria. These criteria included requirement that more than one hypothesis was tested its relationship with richness. grouped variables representing into following ‘correlate types’: climate/productivity,...
Significance People are fascinated by the amazing diversity of tropical forests and will be surprised to learn that robust estimates number tree species lacking. We show there at least 40,000, but possibly more than 53,000, in tropics, contrast only 124 across temperate Europe. Almost all restricted their respective continents, Indo-Pacific region appears as species-rich America, with each these two regions being almost five times rich African forests. Our study shows most extremely rare,...
Abstract Aim Higher‐elevation areas on islands and continental mountains tend to be separated by longer distances, predicting higher endemism at elevations; our study is the first test generality of predicted pattern. We also compare it empirically with contrasting expectations from hypotheses invoking speciation area, temperature species richness. Location Thirty‐two insular 18 elevational gradients around world. Methods compiled entire floras elevation‐specific occurrence information,...
A major focus of geographical ecology and macroecology is to understand the causes spatially structured ecological patterns. However, achieving this understanding can be complicated when using multiple regression, because relative importance explanatory variables, as measured by regression coefficients, shift depending on whether explicit or non‐spatial modeling used. extent which coefficients may why shifts occur are unclear. Here, we analyze relationship between environmental predictors...
Abstract Aims Vegetation‐plot records provide information on the presence and cover or abundance of plants co‐occurring in same community. data are spread across research groups, environmental agencies biodiversity centers and, thus, rarely accessible at continental global scales. Here we present sPlot database, which collates vegetation plots worldwide to allow for exploration patterns taxonomic, functional phylogenetic diversity plant community level. Results version 2.1 contains from...
Significance Identifying and explaining regional differences in tropical forest dynamics, structure, diversity, composition are critical for anticipating region-specific responses to global environmental change. Floristic classifications of fundamental importance these efforts. Here we provide a classification that is explicitly based on community evolutionary similarity, resulting identification five major regions their relationships: ( i ) Indo-Pacific, ii Subtropical, iii African, iv...
Despite its recognition as an important global resource for conservation, the International Union Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List Threatened Species only provides assessments extinction risk a small and biased subset known biodiversity. A more complete can better support species-level conservation by indicating how quickly we need to act on species deemed be priorities action. Vascular plants represent one knowledge gaps, with 7% currently (including in Data Deficient Least Concern...
Global patterns of regional (gamma) plant diversity are relatively well known, but whether these hold for local communities, and the dependence on spatial grain, remain controversial. Using data 170,272 georeferenced assemblages, we created global maps alpha (local species richness) vascular plants at three different grains, forests non-forests. We show that is consistently high across grains in some regions (for example, Andean-Amazonian foothills), 'scaling anomalies' (deviations from...
Recent studies at the macro‐scale have demonstrated that geographic gradients in richness of plants, particular woody plants such as trees and shrubs, can be viewed by‐products water‐energy dynamics. According to this view, they are climatic rather than latitudinal/longitudinal gradients, relating coincident predictable variations planetary surface‐atmosphere thermal dynamics consequent patterns biological activity. Previous analyses shown a two‐variable model capturing dynamic relationship...
ABSTRACT Aim To understand cross‐taxon spatial congruence patterns of bird and woody plant species richness. In particular, to test the relative roles functional relationships between birds plants, direct indirect environmental effects on broad‐scale richness both groups. Location Kenya. Methods Based comprehensive range maps all plants (native > 2.5 m in height) Kenya, we mapped We distinguished four different avian frugivore guilds (obligate, partial, opportunistic non‐frugivores)...
We compiled 46 broadscale data sets of species richness for a wide range terrestrial plant, invertebrate, and ectothermic vertebrate groups in all parts the world to test ability metabolic theory account observed diversity gradients. The makes two related predictions: (1) ln-transformed is linearly associated with linear, inverse transformation annual temperature, (2) slope relationship near −0.65. Of sets, 14 had no significant relationship; remaining 32, nine were meeting prediction 1....
There have been few attempts to generate global models of climate–richness relationships, and fewer still that aim predict richness rather than fitting a model data. One such model, grounded on theory (biological relativity water–energy dynamics) is the interim general (IGM1) climatic potential for woody plant richness. Here we present second-generation (IGM2), genus family versions both models. IGM1 describes horizontal relationships based climate station data systematic species range maps,...
ABSTRACT We outline the potentially important role of dispersal in linking diversity patterns at different spatial and temporal scales, resulting potential to link hypotheses explaining macroscale diversity. do this by proposing a possible mechanism climate patterns: we argue that climate, via effects continuity habitat availability space time, mediates dispersal–ecological specialization trade‐off metacommunity level leads latitudinal trends ability, ecological specialization, range sizes,...
AimThe fossil record has led to a historical explanation for forest diversity gradients within the cool parts of Northern Hemisphere, founded on limited ability woody angiosperm clades adapt mid-Tertiary cooling. We tested four predictions how this should be manifested in phylogenetic structure 91,340 communities: (1) forests north comprise species from younger (families) than south; (2) average cold tolerance at local site associated with mean family age (MFA) species; (3) minimum...
Rapid environmental change is driving the need for complex and comprehensive scientific information that supports policies aimed at managing natural resources through international treaties, platforms, networks.One successful approach delivering such has been development of Essential Variables climate (1), oceans (2), biodiversity (3), sustainable goals (4) (ECVs, EOVs, EBVs, ESDGVs, respectively).These efforts have improved consensus on terminology, identified essential sets measurements...
Abstract Aim To explore the scale dependence of relationships between novel measures geodiversity and species richness both native alien vascular plants. Location Great Britain. Time period Data collected 1995–2015. Major taxa Vascular Methods We calculated terrestrial plants (6,932 in total) across island Britain at grain sizes 1 km 2 ( n = 219,964) 100 2,121) regional extents 25–250 diameter, centred around each 100‐km cell. compiled data on landforms, soils, hydrological geological...
Understanding threatened species diversity is important for long-term conservation planning. Geodiversity-the of Earth surface materials, forms, and processes-may be a useful biodiversity surrogate have value itself. Geodiversity richness relationships been demonstrated; establishing whether geodiversity relates to species' distribution pattern logical next step conservation. We used 4 variables (rock-type soil-type richness, geomorphological diversity, hydrological feature diversity)...
Abstract Motivation Assessing biodiversity status and trends in plant communities is critical for understanding, quantifying predicting the effects of global change on ecosystems. Vegetation plots record occurrence or abundance all species co‐occurring within delimited local areas. This allows absences to be inferred, information seldom provided by existing datasets. Although many vegetation have been recorded, most are not available research community. A recent initiative, called ‘sPlot’,...
Abstract Aim Mountains and islands are both well known for their high endemism. To explain this similarity, parallels have been drawn between the insularity of “true islands” (land surrounded by water) isolation habitats within mountains (so‐called “mountain islands”). However, rarely go much beyond observation that mountaintops isolated from one another, as true islands. Here, we challenge analogy re‐evaluating literature, focusing on (the prime mechanism underlying species endemism...