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Published (Version of Record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Biome: evolution of a crucial ecological and biogeographical concept
The New phytologist, Vol.222(1), pp.97-114
2019
PMCID: PMC6590505
PMID: 30481367
Abstract
A biome is a key community ecological and biogeographical concept and, as such, has profited from the overall progress of community ecology, punctuated by two major innovations: shifting the focus from pure pattern description to understanding functionality, and changing the approach from observational to explanatory and, most importantly, from descriptive to predictive. The functional focus enabled development of mechanistic and function-focused predictive and retrodictive modelling; it also shaped the current understanding of the concept of a biome as a dynamic biological entity having many aspects, with deep roots in the evolutionary past, and which is undergoing change. The evolution of the biome concept was punctuated by three synthetic steps: the first synthesis formulated a solid body of theory explaining the ecological and biogeographical meaning of zonality and collated our knowledge on drivers of vegetation patterns at large spatial scales; the second translated this knowledge into effective mechanistic modelling tools, developing further the link between ecosystem functionality and biogeography; and the third (still in progress) is seeking common ground between large-scale ecological and biogeographic phenomena, using macroecology and macroevolutionary research tools.
Details
- Title
- Biome: evolution of a crucial ecological and biogeographical concept
- Authors/Creators
- Ladislav Mucina - Univ Western Australia, Sch Biol Sci, Vegetat Sci & Biogeog, 35 Stirling Hwy, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Publication Details
- The New phytologist, Vol.222(1), pp.97-114
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 18
- Identifiers
- 991005579906107891
- Copyright
- © 2018 The Author
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.40 Forestry
- 3.40.195 Biodiversity Conservation
- Web Of Science research areas
- Plant Sciences
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- Plant & Animal Science