Seddon, Alistair W.R. and Mackay, Anson W. and Baker, Ambroise G. and Birks, H. John B. and Breman, Elinor and Buck, Caitlin E. and Ellis, Erle C. and Froyd, Cynthia A. and Gill, Jacquelyn L. and Gillson, Lindsey and Johnson, Edward A. and Jones, Vivienne and Juggins, Steve and Macias-Fauria, Marc and Mills, Keely and Morris, Jesse L. and Nogués-Bravo, David and Punyasena, Surangi W. and Roland, Thomas P. and Tanentzap, Andrew J. and Willis, Kathy J. and Aberhan, Martin and van Asperen, Eline N. and Austin, W.E.N. and Battarbee, Rick W. and Bhagwat, Shonil and Belanger, Christina L. and Bennett, Keith D. and Birks, Hilary H. and Bronk Ramsey, Christopher 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 Feurdean, Angelica and Flower, Roger J. and Gell, Peter and Hausmann, Sonja and Hogan, Erika J. and Hopkins, Melanie J. and Jeffers, Elizabeth S. and Korhola, Atte A. and Marchant, Robert and Kiefer, Thorsten and Lamentowicz, Marisuz and Larocque-Tobler, Isabelle and López-Merino, Lourdes and Liow, Lee H. and McGowan, Suzanne and Miller, Joshua H. and Montoya, Encarni and Morton, Oliver and Nogué, Sandra and Onoufriou, Chloe and Boush, Lisa P. and Rodriguez- Sanchez, Francisco and Rose, Neil L. and Sayer, Carl D. and Shaw, Helen E. and Payne, Richard and Simpson, Gavin and Sohar, Kadri and Whitehouse, Nicki J. and Williams, John W. and Witkowski, Andrzej (2014) Looking forward through the past: identification of 50 priority research questions in palaeoecology. Journal of Ecology, 102 (1). pp. 256-267. ISSN 0022-0477

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Abstract

1. 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 resear ch foci that advance the field and that also have high policy and conservation relevance. 2. To date, there has been no coherent synthesis of key questions and priority research areas for pal- aeoecology, which combines biological, geochemical and molecular techniques in order to recon- struct past ecological and environmental systems on time-scales from decades to millions of years. 3. We adapted a well-established methodology to identify 50 priority research questions in palaeoe- cology. 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. 4. The integration of online participation, both before and during the workshop, increased interna- tional engagement in question selection. 5. 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 informa- tion from multiple records; and new developments in palaeo ecology. 6. 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. 7. Synthesis. Palaeoecology is a vibrant and thriving discipline, and these 50 priority questions high- light its potential for addressing both pure (e.g. ecological and evolutionary, methodological) and applied (e.g. environmental and conservation) issues related to ecological science and global change

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Anthropocene; biodiversity; conservation; ecology and evolution; human–environment interactions; long-term ecology; palaeoecology; palaeoecology and land-use history; research priorities; Palaeo50;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, ICARUS
Item ID:	8951
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12195
Depositing User:	Helen Shaw
Date Deposited:	06 Nov 2017 14:19
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Ecology
Publisher:	Wiley
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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