Reading the past to predict future biodiversity: a deep-time perspective. The extent of human-moderated impact on ecosystems is rapidly increasing. To date, most current research in this field is base

Description

Reading the past to predict future biodiversity: a deep-time perspective. The extent of human-moderated impact on ecosystems is rapidly increasing. To date, most current research in this field is based on short-term observations or experiments. By examining the characteristics of species and ecosystem response to climate change from a major geological Ice Age ~320-265 million years ago in eastern Australia, this study will investigate how marine species and ecological communities evolved in response to repeated glacial/interglacial cycles and associated warming/cooling climate changes. Expected findings will help to better understand the long-term links between global warming/cooling climate regimes, sea levels, changing sea-water temperature and chemistry, and species and ecosystem responses to these drivers.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3705 - Geology. Lead: Prof Guang Shi