Latitudinal gradient dynamics of Cenozoic woody plant diversity: mechanisms based on climate variability and niches.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03328
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45040:Ecology and environment-related
• Research Institution: University of the Ryukyus
• Principal Investigator: Kubota Yasuhiro 琉球大学, 理学部, 教授 (50295234)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 生物多様性 / 気候変動 / 気候ニッチ / 新生代

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cenozoic survival and extinction of angiosperm woody plants showed a contrasting latitudinal-dependency between tropical and temperate genera. TNC-driven extinction worked as taxon-specific way; ancient tropical genera, which was adapted to exceptional warm climates in Paleogene, extinct in low latitudes in the beginning of global-cooling, while cold intolerant genera gradually extinct in mid and high latitudes through Neogene. Because of habitat instability relevant to paleoclimate changes, tropical biome firstly lost Paleogene’s super tropical taxa, and then temperate biome suffered range contraction for cold intolerant taxa, and moreover evolutionarily younger freezing-tolerant temperate taxa dispersed from extratropics into lower latitudes. Angiosperm woody genera characterized by manifold TNCs were disproportionally redistributed across the planet, which contributes to shaping the diversity peaks through selective extinction and range shift in response to Cenozoic global cooling.

Free Research Field

生物多様性　気候変動　気候ニッチ　新生代

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

過去の温暖化時代における生物多様性パターンの解明は、将来の気候変動に対する生物多様性の応答に示唆を与える。寒冷な環境下での空間的・気候的距離依存的な交代には、気候に誘発された選別プロセスが関与しており、列島全体の木本植物群集を空間的に多様化させた。 さらに、距離非依存的な転換が優勢であったことから、温暖で安定した気候下での分散放散の影響が示唆された。我々の知見は、温帯の生息地における将来の熱帯化が、生物多様性パターンの地理的均質化を促進する可能性を示唆した。