Open AccessPalaeoecological perspectives on pattern and process in plant diversity and distribution adjustments: a comment on recent developments *
Author(s) -
Odgaard Bent Vad
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
diversity and distributions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.918
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1472-4642
pISSN - 1366-9516
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2001.00110.x
Subject(s) - palynology , species evenness , vegetation (pathology) , ecology , pollen , diversity (politics) , geography , biodiversity , plant diversity , openness to experience , species richness , physical geography , biology , sociology , psychology , medicine , pathology , anthropology , social psychology
. Two developments in the understanding of the relationship between sedimentary pollen assemblages, vegetation and plant diversity are discussed. The Prentice model of vegetation–pollen relationships has improved our understanding of how and at what scale sedimentary pollen records vegetation. The modelling framework allows improved palaeoecological study designs that may, potentially, give important new insights into processes of plant migrations in response to climate change. Also, reconstructions of plant communities and landscape openness may be improved. Competing hypotheses for the relationship between vegetation and palynological diversity are discussed and it is concluded that more attention should be focused on evenness aspects of palynological diversity and on hypothesis testing.