The evolution of vegetation and biodiversity change during the Paleogene and early Neogene

The Asian monsoon system is a major feature of the Earths climate and impacts on almost half of the population of the world. The monsoon also has a profound effect on the regions flora, fauna and ecosystems. Moreover large parts of China are also noted for their exceptionally high biodiversity. We also know that the monsoon system has changed over geological time and this is intimately linked to the growth of Tibet and the Himalayas which occurred during the Paleogene (66 to 23 million years ago) and early Neogene (23 million years ago to 3 million years ago). And finally we know that this time interval also witnessed the birth of this modern vegetation patterns. So how are all of these aspects linked together. Why is biodiversity so high in parts of China? When did these ecosystems develop? And how is this all connected to Tibetan uplift and the evolution of the monsoon?

Our project aims to bring together a unique group of world leading researchers in palaecology, geology and climate modelling to identify the nature of ecological change during the Paleogene and early Neogene and establish the underlying mechanism of changes and thresholds.

We will do this with a series of three field trips to span the latitudinal and elevation gradients within China, from Tibet, Yunnan and S. China. These field trips will enable us to collect new information on the changes in ecosystem and biodiversity. We will be able to assess the amount of change, and in a few key sites identify whether the changes have been smooth or relatively abrupt, the latter indicating possible threshold behaviours of the system. We will also use this data to reconstruct estimates of the climate and palaeoelevation of the sites. This information can then be used to help develop and test climate, ecosystem, and biodiversity models. These models will allow us to identify the key mechanisms that have driven change in this region over geological time, and the interactions between the ecosystem and climate change.

The outcomes will be a fuller understanding of the evolution of life on the planet, and will also enable a unique evaluation of the models used for future climate change projections.

The research generated through this proposal will have potential impact on organisations interested in ecosystems, biodiversity and climate. The monsoon systems are important for sustaining a large population and are a significant part of the economy of the region and so there are many organisations which get impacted by potential changes. Our research also has considerable interest to the wider public. Therefore our impact plan will focus on three aspects:

(a) We will leverage links to policymakers in national government, non-governmental organisations and international agencies, through membership of institutions such as the Cabot Institute in Bristol and Policy Bristol. Both of these groups have dedicated staff focussing on policy briefings. We will also work closely with NERC in communicative activities. We will run two workshops for relevant stakeholders on the results from the project.

(b) There is a lot of interest from the general public in issues such as vegetation change, biodiversity and climate change and we plan to participate in a wide variety of strategies to engage them in our work. This is especially true for the field work components which often generates significant interest. We will cover the field trips through photographic and filming opportunities, and will make extensive use of twitter. We will also produce a website for the project, and participate in science festivals such as Festival of Nature and Times Cheltenham Science festival.

(c) The research will also have significant scientific importance and so we will also ensure that our work is clearly disseminated to the academic beneficiaries (related to ecosystems, climate and geology, see previous section). We will aid this work by ensuring that we participate in conferences in a wide variety of different areas and by publishing papers in journals linked to the various communities.