PACE Workshop: Integrating Paleoecology and Community Ecology; May/June, 2017 - Winter Harbor, ME

University Of Maine, Orono ME

Investigators

Abstract

This project is a workshop to advance interchange between ecologists working on general problems in modern systems and those focused on environments of the past (using buried pollen, plant and animal remnants, and other fossils). Study of the past is able to provide data on ecological dynamics that take place over long stretches of time, much longer than can be observed in current systems. It can shed light on processes that are important to current ecological change. However, it is often focused on the natural history of specific places and times rather than more general concepts. Meanwhile, ecologists working on general concepts in current systems are often unaware of what study of the past has to offer or are skeptical of whether the fossil data are adequate to answer their questions, given that experimental manipulation is not possible. By bringing both types of ecologists together the field of population and community ecology can be enriched. The outcome will contribute to the ability to respond to global change, and collaborations among scientists will be fostered. Many of the anthropogenic impacts on populations and communities that are of high interest take decades or more to play out; sitting on the boundary between 'paleo' and 'neo' approaches, they require the methods and insights of both. The informatics revolution is also enabling the synthesis of multiple kinds of ecological data across spatial, temporal, and taxonomic scales, including species traits, past and present distributions, ancient and modern genetics, environmental covariates, and phylogenetic history. However, while there are clear opportunities for synergy between paleoecology and PCE, various structural challenges hinder integration between them. A workshop will facilitate capacity-building to address structural problems in the way that science is conducted that hinder the interaction of paleo- and neo- ecologists. Broader impacts will include networking and capacity building to strengthen the disciplinary ties between paleoecology and community ecology, which is critically important during a time of global change. This proposal facilitates critically timed career development and stabilization for diverse early career faculty.