Contemporaneous climate directly controls broad‐scale patterns of woody plant diversity: a test by a natural experiment over 14,000 years

摘要: Aim Broad-scale diversity gradients are strongly correlated with climate. This correlation may reflect direct control of richness by contemporaneous Alternatively, factors that were collinear climate have affected (e.g. temperature during the Last Glacial Maximum, LGM). We tested hypothesis directly controls broad-scale patterns richness. If (i.e. causally) richness, then when changes, should vary through time in same way varies space. also hypotheses suggest primarily determined processes associated at LGM. Location North America, north Mexico. Methods We used changes over last 14,000 years North America as a ‘natural experiment’. compared proxy woody plant family (based on fossilized pollen) two reconstructions spatio-temporal variation across 1000-year intervals. Results We found spatial and temporal regional variations families, observed intervals expressed function temperature, remained quite congruent changing since end Pleistocene (the c. 11,000 years). Between 11,000 yr bp, lags occurred cooling periods, anomalously high; however, was not low rapid warming late Pleistocene. Richness significantly less related to change LGM. Main conclusions Our results provide strong test that, ecological time, most Richness, independently responses individual species, is likely track current change, except possibly very rapid.