This is one of the conclusions of an international study focused on the causes of the evolutionary success of Carex, one of the genera of flowering plants with the highest number of species in the world
Universidad Pablo de Olavide UPO
Carex. Credit: ©pablodeolavide
In the current climate change scenario, an international team led by researchers from Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) and the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) has carried out research that suggests global warming could have a negative impact on the processes that generate biodiversity. This is one of the conclusions of a study, recently published in the international scientific Journal of Systematics and Evolution, that focuses on the causes of the evolutionary success of Carex, one of the worlds’ three largest genera of flowering plants. The results suggest that this success is linked to the relatively cold climate of the planet during the last 10 million years, which favoured the colonization of new territories and ecosystems.
Carex is a group of herbs belonging to the sedge family (Cyperaceae), a family that includes well-known species as papyrus or tiger nut. More than 2000 Carex species are known throughout the world and inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems, from the poles to the tropics and from the coasts to the highest mountains, although always linked to areas with temperate and cold climates. In many regions, especially in the northern hemisphere, their species are part of certain types of dominant vegetation and play a fundamental ecological role in habitats as varied as tundra, grasslands, wetlands, peat bogs, river and lake borders, or forest understories. In addition, these plants are an important food source for numerous waterfowl and herbivorous mammals, and some of them exhibit medicinal or nutritional properties exploited by humans.
The study was focused on the analysis of the causes for the enormous diversity of Carex species, concluding that climate cooling was a key factor behind their speciation. “The study is the first to deal with global distribution patterns and diversification of a megadiverse genus of plants and suggests that not only is climate warming causing the extinction of species, but also could negatively affect the processes that generate them,” says Santiago Martín-Bravo, researcher at UPO’s Botany Area and one of the study’s main co-authors.
In this study genetic and fossil information was combined to unravel the causes of Carex global diversification. The work shows that this genus originated in Asia, from where it has been able to colonize regions around the world and remarkably different ecological niches. During this process, Carex has been clearly favoured by the cold global climate sustained for the past 10 million years. This is evidenced by the concurrence of regional cooling events such as the freezing of Antarctica or Pleistocene glaciations and the massive appearance of Carex species in regions affected by these climatic changes, e.g. North America or New Zealand.
The conclusions of this work are of broad general interest to understand how, when and why species are generated, as well as the causes of their uneven distribution, and especially the role of the global climate as a driver of the genesis of biodiversity. “These questions are particularly significant in the current context of climate crisis and mass extinction of species, which emphasizes the need to know and understand how nature responds to the climate if we are to preserve and manage it in a sustainable way,” argues Pedro Jiménez-Mejías, researcher of UAM’s Botany Area and another of the main co-authors of the work.
The study featured on the cover of November issue of the international scientific journal Journal of Systematics and Evolution. It represents the culmination of more than a decade’s work initiated with Jiménez-Mejías’ postdoctoral project, developed in the United States, and has enabled international collaboration between a group of evolutionary biologists and botanists from institutions in ten countries, among which Spain (with researchers from the universities Pablo de Olavide, Autonomous of Madrid and Seville, as well as the Royal Botanic Gardens in Madrid) and the United States stand out.
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I, too, scanned this paper and it is an interesting work. A point made is that this sedge has a higher diversity in “cold-temperate“ areas, which makes some sense as you might expect more niches in a area with a more expansive temperature regime. More niches, in general, equals more diversity and more species. However, that only includes temperature-related niches and there’s more to a niche than temperature. Remember, a niche can be described as a multi-dimensional space with many axes representing the environment in which the niche resides and the outlines of the space can be nearly infinitely irregular.
However, let’s also remember that niches (and evolution) exist in a changing environment (Pielou) so that all niches may not be filled at any given time as the niches change with the environmental change. (We are not considering Time here, but Time is a resource that affects this change). While this paper limits itself to Carex (sorry, don’t see where I can underline or italicize) let’s expand to an ecosystem, which is what Nature does (apologize for the anthropomorphism). Nature does not “worry” about individual species but about “functional” species and developing a working ecosystem. (In my opinion, this distinction is not considered by the Endangered Species Act and is a flaw in that legislation.)
So, while Carex diversity may be affected, may be affected by warming, would it do so if a temperature gradient remained in place? And, a decrease of sedge diversity may not mean a decrease of ecosystem diversity, as other species, most likely, will fill open niches. For instance, the equatorial rainforests are among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet and exist in a relatively narrow temperature range.
We tend to define species by structure, physiology, DNA and such. Nothing wrong with that, it’s easy for us to do. But, Nature defines species functionally, as building blocks to fill niches for an ecosystem, looking for some stability as energy is transferred from the base of the system to the top of the pyramid.
Just my opinion (influenced by Pielou and many others over the decades).
My first thoughts were ‘yes it makes sense: in tough conditions the weaker variations quickly are eleiminated and only the strong survive’. But then I realised that that applies to all life and it doesn’t explain why it should particularly apply to Carex. Does Carex have some advantage which makes it more adaptable with natural selection doing the rest? I suspect that this is just another study attempting to attribute something to climate change.
Truth. Nobody cares about Carex or frankly most of the other esoteric research being done. But these days every one cares about the impending end of the earth. Science good. Political science bad. Frankenstein
This really has to be one of the dumbest claims ever.
These pseudo-scientists have seemingly not heard of checking the historical record to see what it was like in previous hot times. Or even just comparing the current (Ant-)Arctic with Equatorial diversity.
Indeed, shouldn’t we regard Carex as being complicit in the real 6th great extinction – the eradication of warmth-loving organisms and replacement by the cold-dependent Carex and others?
Let us “save the planet” by instituting a mass eradication of Carex and its accomplices in genocide!
Perhaps that would give the “Warmies” new employment and they could leave science to those who have an IQ greater than their shoe size.
Thank you.
I added it to my list
https://tambonthongchai.com/2018/06/21/climate-change-impacts1/
[Global warming “could” have a negative impact]
The airplane “could” fly. All aboard!
It was a snowy afternoon in Anchorage, Alaska. We were getting ready to board a charter plane to fly over the Cook Inlet to our gas-fired electric plant across the way. In answer to a query, our pilot opined that we would probably make it over to the generation plant but it might be impossible to get back that evening.
A perfect example of your “The airplane “could” fly. All aboard!” One of us management types suggested we vote on the issue of trying the flight. Without a word, I headed toward the door leading to my car in the snow covered parking lot.
Car may get stuck, it will certainly not plummet several thousand feet to the ground because of bad weather.(unless you are driving on a really tall mountain, then all bets are off)
This is actually a rather interesting, though very dense and technical paper, probably more or less incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t studied taxonomy and biogeography.
And there is not a hint of alarmism anywhere in it. Not a single mention of CAGW or any negative effects of it. That is 100% pure invention by You-reek-alert and whoever wrote the press release. They probably felt safe that nobody would be bothered to read the actual paper, which is a pretty safe bet in this particular case (did anyone else on WUWT read it by the way?)
Paper wasn’t cited so no. But you’re right, there is no alarmism in the paper.
So you are saying this paper does not conclude that increased plant food(co2) and favorable conditions(increased water and temps) are bad for plants? Last I checked increases in these two factors expand plant diversity and increase plant productivity(such as oxygen production, food production) so that is a good thing! Glad they agree with reality.
Look, these plants adapted to the cold over a long period of time. So if it’s no longer cold, they might not be able to adapt to the cold.
See how stupid that is? I used to revere scientists. The closer I get, the more I realize many of them are charlatans.
‘not only is climate warming causing the extinction of species,..’
Proof? Name some? Oh, yes, just another lie.
And here I thought that the hot steamy jungles were the most biodiverse regions of the planet. National Geographic, I blame you.
“The study is the first to deal with global distribution patterns and diversification of a megadiverse genus of plants and suggests that not only is climate warming causing the extinction of species, but also could negatively affect the processes that generate them,”
–> “The study is the first to deal with global distribution patterns and diversification of a megadiverse genus of spinners and suggests that not only is climate warming fantasia aberration causing the lasting brain damage on scholars, but also could negatively affect the processes required for paying them and toilsome dragging them through,”
Charles of Rotterham / beware of turmoil.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Tottenham+riots+burning&oq=Tottenham+riots+burning+&aqs=chrome.
Charles of Rotterham / beware of turmoil.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Tottenham+riots+burning&oq=Tottenham+riots+burning+&aqs=chrome.
The outcomes of climate change are luring.