Biogeography of the Anthropocene: Novel species assemblages. (October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Young, Kenneth R.
• Is Part Of: Progress in physical geography. Volume 38:Number 5(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 664
• Page End: 673
• Publication Date: 2014-10
• Subjects: biodiversity -- biogeography -- conservation biogeography -- land-cover change -- no-analog climate -- no-analog species assemblage -- novel ecosystem -- paleoecology -- species extinction; Physical geography -- Periodicals; 910.02
• DOI: 10.1177/0309133314540930
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-1333

Abstract

Humans have altered the land cover and biogeochemical cycles of Earth, with many implications for how the study of the distributions of organisms should change. A new biogeography of the Anthropocene could help to develop additional criteria to evaluate the degree and timing of human impacts, and innovative ways to proactively manage biological diversity. Many recent studies have used paleoecological methods to evaluate no-analog conditions in the past, or modeling to evaluate possible futures. Additional approaches are needed for assessment and prediction of how new groupings of species will function ecologically under future climatic and landscape conditions, including methods for studying the effects of biotic homogenization, species extinctions, introduced species, and altered ecosystem processes.