Looking forward through the past: identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology

Alistair W. R. Seddon; Anson W. Mackay; Ambroise G. Baker; H. John B. Birks; Elinor Breman; Caitlin E. Buck; Erle C. Ellis; Cynthia A. Froyd; Jacquelyn L. Gill; Lindsey Gillson; Edward A. Johnson; Vivienne J. Jones; Stephen Juggins; Marc Macias-Fauria; Keely Mills; Jesse L. Morris; David Bravo Nogues; Surangi W. Punyasena; Thomas P. Roland; Andrew J. Tanentzap; Kathy J. Willis; Martin Aberhan; Eline N. van Asperen; William E. N. Austin; Rick W. Battarbee; Shonil Bhagwat; Christina L. Belanger; Keith D. Bennett; Hilary H. Birks; Christopher Bronk Ramsey; Stephen J. Brooks; Mark de Bruyn; Paul G. Butler; Frank M. Chambers; Stewart J. Clarke; Althea L. Davies; John A. Dearing; Thomas H. G. Ezard; Angelica Feurdean; Roger J. Flower; Peter Gell; Sonja Hausmann; Erika J. Hogan; Melanie J. Hopkins; Elizabeth S. Jeffers; Atte A. Korhola; Robert Marchant; Thorsten Kiefer; Mariusz Lamentowicz; Isabelle Larocque-Tobler; Lourdes Lopez-Merino; Lee H. Liow; Suzanne McGowan; Joshua H. Miller; Encarni Montoya; Oliver Morton; Sandra Nogue; Chloe Onoufriou; Lisa P. Boush; Francisco Rodriguez-Sanchez; Neil L. Rose; Carl D. Sayer; Helen E. Shaw; Richard Payne; Gavin Simpson; Kadri Sohar; Nicki J. Whitehouse; John W. Williams; Andrzej Witkowski

doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12195

Looking forward through the past: identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology

Alistair W. R. Seddon, Anson W. Mackay, Ambroise G. Baker, H. John B. Birks, Elinor Breman, Caitlin E. Buck, Erle C. Ellis, Cynthia A. Froyd, Jacquelyn L. Gill, Lindsey Gillson, Edward A. Johnson, Vivienne J. Jones, Stephen Juggins, Marc Macias-Fauria, Keely Mills, Jesse L. Morris, David Bravo Nogues, Surangi W. Punyasena, Thomas P. Roland, Andrew J. TanentzapKathy J. Willis, Martin Aberhan, Eline N. van Asperen, William E. N. Austin, Rick W. Battarbee, Shonil Bhagwat, Christina L. Belanger, Keith D. Bennett, Hilary H. Birks, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Stephen J. Brooks, Mark de Bruyn, Paul G. Butler, Frank M. Chambers, Stewart J. Clarke, Althea L. Davies, John A. Dearing, Thomas H. G. Ezard, Angelica Feurdean, Roger J. Flower, Peter Gell, Sonja Hausmann, Erika J. Hogan, Melanie J. Hopkins, Elizabeth S. Jeffers, Atte A. Korhola, Robert Marchant, Thorsten Kiefer, Mariusz Lamentowicz, Isabelle Larocque-Tobler, Lourdes Lopez-Merino, Lee H. Liow, Suzanne McGowan, Joshua H. Miller, Encarni Montoya, Oliver Morton, Sandra Nogue, Chloe Onoufriou, Lisa P. Boush, Francisco Rodriguez-Sanchez, Neil L. Rose, Carl D. Sayer, Helen E. Shaw, Richard Payne, Gavin Simpson, Kadri Sohar, Nicki J. Whitehouse, John W. Williams, Andrzej Witkowski

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Abstract

Priority question exercises are becoming an increasingly common tool to frame future agendas in conservation and ecological science. They are an effective way to identify research foci that advance the field and that also have high policy and conservation relevance. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions and priority research areas for palaeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical and molecular techniques in order to reconstruct past ecological and environmental systems on time-scales from decades to millions of years. We adapted a well-established methodology to identify 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Using a set of criteria designed to identify realistic and achievable research goals, we selected questions from a pool submitted by the international palaeoecology research community and relevant policy practitioners. The integration of online participation, both before and during the workshop, increased international engagement in question selection. The questions selected are structured around six themes: human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene; biodiversity, conservation and novel ecosystems; biodiversity over long time-scales; ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycling; comparing, combining and synthesizing information from multiple records; and new developments in palaeoecology. Future opportunities in palaeoecology are related to improved incorporation of uncertainty into reconstructions, an enhanced understanding of ecological and evolutionary dynamics and processes and the continued application of long-term data for better-informed landscape management.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Ecology
Volume	102
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	256-267
Number of pages	12
ISSN	0022-0477
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12195
Publication status	Published - Jan 2014

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Seddon, A. W. R., Mackay, A. W., Baker, A. G., Birks, H. J. B., Breman, E., Buck, C. E., Ellis, E. C., Froyd, C. A., Gill, J. L., Gillson, L., Johnson, E. A., Jones, V. J., Juggins, S., Macias-Fauria, M., Mills, K., Morris, J. L., Nogues, D. B., Punyasena, S. W., Roland, T. P., ... Witkowski, A. (2014). Looking forward through the past: identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Journal of Ecology, 102(1), 256-267. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12195

Seddon, AWR, Mackay, AW, Baker, AG, Birks, HJB, Breman, E, Buck, CE, Ellis, EC, Froyd, CA, Gill, JL, Gillson, L, Johnson, EA, Jones, VJ, Juggins, S, Macias-Fauria, M, Mills, K, Morris, JL, Nogues, DB, Punyasena, SW, Roland, TP, Tanentzap, AJ, Willis, KJ, Aberhan, M, van Asperen, EN, Austin, WEN, Battarbee, RW, Bhagwat, S, Belanger, CL, Bennett, KD, Birks, HH, Ramsey, CB, Brooks, SJ, de Bruyn, M, Butler, PG, Chambers, FM, Clarke, SJ, Davies, AL, Dearing, JA, Ezard, THG, Feurdean, A, Flower, RJ, Gell, P, Hausmann, S, Hogan, EJ, Hopkins, MJ, Jeffers, ES, Korhola, AA, Marchant, R, Kiefer, T, Lamentowicz, M, Larocque-Tobler, I, Lopez-Merino, L, Liow, LH, McGowan, S, Miller, JH, Montoya, E, Morton, O, Nogue, S, Onoufriou, C, Boush, LP, Rodriguez-Sanchez, F, Rose, NL, Sayer, CD, Shaw, HE, Payne, R, Simpson, G, Sohar, K, Whitehouse, NJ, Williams, JW & Witkowski, A 2014, 'Looking forward through the past: identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology', Journal of Ecology, vol. 102, no. 1, pp. 256-267. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12195

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title = "Looking forward through the past: identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology",

abstract = "Priority question exercises are becoming an increasingly common tool to frame future agendas in conservation and ecological science. They are an effective way to identify research foci that advance the field and that also have high policy and conservation relevance. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions and priority research areas for palaeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical and molecular techniques in order to reconstruct past ecological and environmental systems on time-scales from decades to millions of years. We adapted a well-established methodology to identify 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Using a set of criteria designed to identify realistic and achievable research goals, we selected questions from a pool submitted by the international palaeoecology research community and relevant policy practitioners. The integration of online participation, both before and during the workshop, increased international engagement in question selection. The questions selected are structured around six themes: human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene; biodiversity, conservation and novel ecosystems; biodiversity over long time-scales; ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycling; comparing, combining and synthesizing information from multiple records; and new developments in palaeoecology. Future opportunities in palaeoecology are related to improved incorporation of uncertainty into reconstructions, an enhanced understanding of ecological and evolutionary dynamics and processes and the continued application of long-term data for better-informed landscape management.",

author = "Seddon, {Alistair W. R.} and Mackay, {Anson W.} and Baker, {Ambroise G.} and Birks, {H. John B.} and Elinor Breman and Buck, {Caitlin E.} and Ellis, {Erle C.} and Froyd, {Cynthia A.} and Gill, {Jacquelyn L.} and Lindsey Gillson and Johnson, {Edward A.} and Jones, {Vivienne J.} and Stephen Juggins and Marc Macias-Fauria and Keely Mills and Morris, {Jesse L.} and Nogues, {David Bravo} and Punyasena, {Surangi W.} and Roland, {Thomas P.} and Tanentzap, {Andrew J.} and Willis, {Kathy J.} and Martin Aberhan and {van Asperen}, {Eline N.} and Austin, {William E. N.} and Battarbee, {Rick W.} and Shonil Bhagwat and Belanger, {Christina L.} and Bennett, {Keith D.} and Birks, {Hilary H.} and Ramsey, {Christopher Bronk} and Brooks, {Stephen J.} and {de Bruyn}, Mark and Butler, {Paul G.} and Chambers, {Frank M.} and Clarke, {Stewart J.} and Davies, {Althea L.} and Dearing, {John A.} and Ezard, {Thomas H. G.} and Angelica Feurdean and Flower, {Roger J.} and Peter Gell and Sonja Hausmann and Hogan, {Erika J.} and Hopkins, {Melanie J.} and Jeffers, {Elizabeth S.} and Korhola, {Atte A.} and Robert Marchant and Thorsten Kiefer and Mariusz Lamentowicz and Isabelle Larocque-Tobler and Lourdes Lopez-Merino and Liow, {Lee H.} and Suzanne McGowan and Miller, {Joshua H.} and Encarni Montoya and Oliver Morton and Sandra Nogue and Chloe Onoufriou and Boush, {Lisa P.} and Francisco Rodriguez-Sanchez and Rose, {Neil L.} and Sayer, {Carl D.} and Shaw, {Helen E.} and Richard Payne and Gavin Simpson and Kadri Sohar and Whitehouse, {Nicki J.} and Williams, {John W.} and Andrzej Witkowski",

year = "2014",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1111/1365-2745.12195",

language = "English",

volume = "102",

pages = "256--267",

journal = "Journal of Ecology",

issn = "0022-0477",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Looking forward through the past

T2 - identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology

AU - Seddon, Alistair W. R.

AU - Mackay, Anson W.

AU - Baker, Ambroise G.

AU - Birks, H. John B.

AU - Breman, Elinor

AU - Buck, Caitlin E.

AU - Ellis, Erle C.

AU - Froyd, Cynthia A.

AU - Gill, Jacquelyn L.

AU - Gillson, Lindsey

AU - Johnson, Edward A.

AU - Jones, Vivienne J.

AU - Juggins, Stephen

AU - Macias-Fauria, Marc

AU - Mills, Keely

AU - Morris, Jesse L.

AU - Nogues, David Bravo

AU - Punyasena, Surangi W.

AU - Roland, Thomas P.

AU - Tanentzap, Andrew J.

AU - Willis, Kathy J.

AU - Aberhan, Martin

AU - van Asperen, Eline N.

AU - Austin, William E. N.

AU - Battarbee, Rick W.

AU - Bhagwat, Shonil

AU - Belanger, Christina L.

AU - Bennett, Keith D.

AU - Birks, Hilary H.

AU - Ramsey, Christopher Bronk

AU - Brooks, Stephen J.

AU - de Bruyn, Mark

AU - Butler, Paul G.

AU - Chambers, Frank M.

AU - Clarke, Stewart J.

AU - Davies, Althea L.

AU - Dearing, John A.

AU - Ezard, Thomas H. G.

AU - Feurdean, Angelica

AU - Flower, Roger J.

AU - Gell, Peter

AU - Hausmann, Sonja

AU - Hogan, Erika J.

AU - Hopkins, Melanie J.

AU - Jeffers, Elizabeth S.

AU - Korhola, Atte A.

AU - Marchant, Robert

AU - Kiefer, Thorsten

AU - Lamentowicz, Mariusz

AU - Larocque-Tobler, Isabelle

AU - Lopez-Merino, Lourdes

AU - Liow, Lee H.

AU - McGowan, Suzanne

AU - Miller, Joshua H.

AU - Montoya, Encarni

AU - Morton, Oliver

AU - Nogue, Sandra

AU - Onoufriou, Chloe

AU - Boush, Lisa P.

AU - Rodriguez-Sanchez, Francisco

AU - Rose, Neil L.

AU - Sayer, Carl D.

AU - Shaw, Helen E.

AU - Payne, Richard

AU - Simpson, Gavin

AU - Sohar, Kadri

AU - Whitehouse, Nicki J.

AU - Williams, John W.

AU - Witkowski, Andrzej

PY - 2014/1

Y1 - 2014/1

N2 - Priority question exercises are becoming an increasingly common tool to frame future agendas in conservation and ecological science. They are an effective way to identify research foci that advance the field and that also have high policy and conservation relevance. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions and priority research areas for palaeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical and molecular techniques in order to reconstruct past ecological and environmental systems on time-scales from decades to millions of years. We adapted a well-established methodology to identify 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Using a set of criteria designed to identify realistic and achievable research goals, we selected questions from a pool submitted by the international palaeoecology research community and relevant policy practitioners. The integration of online participation, both before and during the workshop, increased international engagement in question selection. The questions selected are structured around six themes: human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene; biodiversity, conservation and novel ecosystems; biodiversity over long time-scales; ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycling; comparing, combining and synthesizing information from multiple records; and new developments in palaeoecology. Future opportunities in palaeoecology are related to improved incorporation of uncertainty into reconstructions, an enhanced understanding of ecological and evolutionary dynamics and processes and the continued application of long-term data for better-informed landscape management.

AB - Priority question exercises are becoming an increasingly common tool to frame future agendas in conservation and ecological science. They are an effective way to identify research foci that advance the field and that also have high policy and conservation relevance. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions and priority research areas for palaeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical and molecular techniques in order to reconstruct past ecological and environmental systems on time-scales from decades to millions of years. We adapted a well-established methodology to identify 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Using a set of criteria designed to identify realistic and achievable research goals, we selected questions from a pool submitted by the international palaeoecology research community and relevant policy practitioners. The integration of online participation, both before and during the workshop, increased international engagement in question selection. The questions selected are structured around six themes: human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene; biodiversity, conservation and novel ecosystems; biodiversity over long time-scales; ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycling; comparing, combining and synthesizing information from multiple records; and new developments in palaeoecology. Future opportunities in palaeoecology are related to improved incorporation of uncertainty into reconstructions, an enhanced understanding of ecological and evolutionary dynamics and processes and the continued application of long-term data for better-informed landscape management.

U2 - 10.1111/1365-2745.12195

DO - 10.1111/1365-2745.12195

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0022-0477

VL - 102

SP - 256

EP - 267

JO - Journal of Ecology

JF - Journal of Ecology

IS - 1

ER -