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Linking palaeoenvironmental data and models to understand the past and to predict the future

Linking palaeoenvironmental data and models to understand the past and to predict the future
Linking palaeoenvironmental data and models to understand the past and to predict the future
Complex, process-based dynamic models are used to attempt to mimic the intrinsic variability of the natural environment, ecosystem functioning and, ultimately, to predict future change. Palaeoecological data provide the means for understanding past ecosystem change and are the main source of information for validating long-term model behaviour. As global ecosystems become increasingly stressed by, for example, climate change, human activities and invasive species, there is an even greater need to learn from the past and to strengthen links between models and palaeoecological data. Using examples from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, we suggest that better interactions between modellers and palaeoecologists can help understand the complexity of past changes. With increased synergy between the two approaches, there will be a better understanding of past and present environmental change and, hence, an improvement in our ability to predict future changes.
696-704
Anderson, N.J.
b84d59bf-dbc0-4f34-a935-08deae52c6ed
Bugmann, H.
e831dd90-0b08-4372-8989-2abbd82e7e9a
Dearing, J.A.
dff37300-b8a6-4406-ad84-89aa01de03d7
Gaillard-Lemdahl, M-J.
df5cf975-4111-4558-b473-2636e1fe26eb
Anderson, N.J.
b84d59bf-dbc0-4f34-a935-08deae52c6ed
Bugmann, H.
e831dd90-0b08-4372-8989-2abbd82e7e9a
Dearing, J.A.
dff37300-b8a6-4406-ad84-89aa01de03d7
Gaillard-Lemdahl, M-J.
df5cf975-4111-4558-b473-2636e1fe26eb

Anderson, N.J., Bugmann, H., Dearing, J.A. and Gaillard-Lemdahl, M-J. (2006) Linking palaeoenvironmental data and models to understand the past and to predict the future. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 21 (12), 696-704. (doi:10.1016/j.tree.2006.09.005).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Complex, process-based dynamic models are used to attempt to mimic the intrinsic variability of the natural environment, ecosystem functioning and, ultimately, to predict future change. Palaeoecological data provide the means for understanding past ecosystem change and are the main source of information for validating long-term model behaviour. As global ecosystems become increasingly stressed by, for example, climate change, human activities and invasive species, there is an even greater need to learn from the past and to strengthen links between models and palaeoecological data. Using examples from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, we suggest that better interactions between modellers and palaeoecologists can help understand the complexity of past changes. With increased synergy between the two approaches, there will be a better understanding of past and present environmental change and, hence, an improvement in our ability to predict future changes.

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Published date: 2006

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 55690
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/55690
PURE UUID: 7a5d6181-5922-490e-9e60-09efc27d1b2f
ORCID for J.A. Dearing: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1466-9640

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Aug 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:38

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Contributors

Author: N.J. Anderson
Author: H. Bugmann
Author: J.A. Dearing ORCID iD
Author: M-J. Gaillard-Lemdahl

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