Effects of Rapid Global Warming at the Paleocene-Eocene Boundary on Neotropical Vegetation
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-12-2010
Description
Temperatures in tropical regions are estimated to have increased by 3° to 5°C, compared with Late Paleocene values, during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, 56.3 million years ago) event. We investigated the tropical forest response to this rapid warming by evaluating the palynological record of three stratigraphic sections in eastern Colombia and western Venezuela. We observed a rapid and distinct increase in plant diversity and origination rates, with a set of new taxa, mostly angiosperms, added to the existing stock of low-diversity Paleocene flora. There is no evidence for enhanced aridity in the northern Neotropics. The tropical rainforest was able to persist under elevated temperatures and high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, in contrast to speculations that tropical ecosystems were severely compromised by heat stress.
Citation Information
Jaramillo, Carlos; Ochoa, Diana; Contreras, Lineth; Pagani, Mark; Carvajal-Ortiz, Humberto; Pratt, Lisa M.; Krishnan, Srinath; Cardona, Agustin; Romero, Millerlandy; Quiroz, Luis; Rodriguez, Guillermo; Rueda, Milton J.; De La Parra, Felipe; Morón, Sara; Green, Walton; Bayona, German; Montes, Camilo; Quintero, Oscar; Ramirez, Rafael; Mora, Germán; Schouten, Stefan; Bermudez, Hermann; Navarrete, Rosa; Parra, Francisco; Alvarán, Mauricio; Osorno, Jose; Crowley, James L.; and Valencia, Victor. 2010. Effects of Rapid Global Warming at the Paleocene-Eocene Boundary on Neotropical Vegetation. Science. Vol.330(6006). 957-961. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1193833 PMID: 21071667 ISSN: 0036-8075