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Looking forward through the past : identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology

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Seddonetal_jec12195.pdf (439.8Kb)
Date
01/2014
Author
Seddon, Alistair W. R.
Mackay, Anson W.
Baker, Ambroise G.
Birks, H. John B.
Breman, Elinor
Buck, Caitlin E.
Ellis, Erle C.
Froyd, Cynthia A.
Gill, Jacquelyn L.
Gillson, Lindsey
Johnson, Edward A.
Jones, Vivienne J.
Juggins, Stephen
Macias-Fauria, Marc
Mills, Keely
Morris, Jesse L.
Nogues-Bravo, David
Punyasena, Surangi W.
Roland, Thomas P.
Tanentzap, Andrew J.
Willis, Kathy J.
Aberhan, Martin
van Asperen, Eline N.
Austin, William E. N.
Battarbee, Rick W.
Bhagwat, Shonil
Belanger, Christina L.
Bennett, Keith David
Birks, Hilary H.
Ramsey, Christopher Bronk
Brooks, Stephen J.
de Bruyn, Mark
Butler, Paul G.
Chambers, Frank M.
Clarke, Stewart J.
Davies, Althea L.
Dearing, John A.
Ezard, Thomas H. G.
Feurdean, Angelica
Flower, Roger J.
Gell, Peter
Hausmann, Sonja
Hogan, Erika J.
Hopkins, Melanie J.
Jeffers, Elizabeth S.
Korhola, Atte A.
Marchant, Robert
Kiefer, Thorsten
Lamentowicz, Mariusz
Larocque-Tobler, Isabelle
Lopez-Merino, Lourdes
Liow, Lee H.
McGowan, Suzanne
Miller, Joshua H.
Montoya, Encarni
Morton, Oliver
Nogue, Sandra
Onoufriou, Chloe
Boush, Lisa P.
Rodriguez-Sanchez, Francisco
Rose, Neil L.
Sayer, Carl D.
Shaw, Helen E.
Payne, Richard
Simpson, Gavin
Sohar, Kadri
Whitehouse, Nicki J.
Williams, John W.
Witkowski, Andrzej
Keywords
Anthropocene
Biodiversity
Conservation
ecology and evolution
human-environment interactions
long-term ecology
palaeoecology
palaeoecology and land-use history
research priorities
Palaeo50
Eastern North-America
Ecological questions
Hemlock decline
Climate-change
Management
Reconstructions
Pollen
Future
QE Geology
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Abstract
Priority question exercises are becoming an increasingly common tool to frame future agendas in conservation and ecological science. They are an effective way to identify research foci that advance the field and that also have high policy and conservation relevance. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions and priority research areas for palaeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical and molecular techniques in order to reconstruct past ecological and environmental systems on time-scales from decades to millions of years. We adapted a well-established methodology to identify 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Using a set of criteria designed to identify realistic and achievable research goals, we selected questions from a pool submitted by the international palaeoecology research community and relevant policy practitioners. The integration of online participation, both before and during the workshop, increased international engagement in question selection. The questions selected are structured around six themes: human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene; biodiversity, conservation and novel ecosystems; biodiversity over long time-scales; ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycling; comparing, combining and synthesizing information from multiple records; and new developments in palaeoecology. Future opportunities in palaeoecology are related to improved incorporation of uncertainty into reconstructions, an enhanced understanding of ecological and evolutionary dynamics and processes and the continued application of long-term data for better-informed landscape management.Synthesis. Palaeoecology is a vibrant and thriving discipline, and these 50 priority questions highlight its potential for addressing both pure (e.g. ecological and evolutionary, methodological) and applied (e.g. environmental and conservation) issues related to ecological science and global change.
Citation
Seddon , A W R , Mackay , A W , Baker , A G , Birks , H J B , Breman , E , Buck , C E , Ellis , E C , Froyd , C A , Gill , J L , Gillson , L , Johnson , E A , Jones , V J , Juggins , S , Macias-Fauria , M , Mills , K , Morris , J L , Nogues-Bravo , D , Punyasena , S W , Roland , T P , Tanentzap , A J , Willis , K J , Aberhan , M , van Asperen , E N , Austin , W E N , Battarbee , R W , Bhagwat , S , Belanger , C L , Bennett , K D , Birks , H H , Ramsey , C B , Brooks , S J , de Bruyn , M , Butler , P G , Chambers , F M , Clarke , S J , Davies , A L , Dearing , J A , Ezard , T H G , Feurdean , A , Flower , R J , Gell , P , Hausmann , S , Hogan , E J , Hopkins , M J , Jeffers , E S , Korhola , A A , Marchant , R , Kiefer , T , Lamentowicz , M , Larocque-Tobler , I , Lopez-Merino , L , Liow , L H , McGowan , S , Miller , J H , Montoya , E , Morton , O , Nogue , S , Onoufriou , C , Boush , L P , Rodriguez-Sanchez , F , Rose , N L , Sayer , C D , Shaw , H E , Payne , R , Simpson , G , Sohar , K , Whitehouse , N J , Williams , J W & Witkowski , A 2014 , ' Looking forward through the past : identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology ' , Journal of Ecology , vol. 102 , no. 1 , pp. 256-267 . https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12195
Publication
Journal of Ecology
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12195
ISSN
0022-0477
Type
Journal article
Rights
© 2013 The Authors. Journal of Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
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  • University of St Andrews Research
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12195
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/4425

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