Ecosystem dynamics, ecology of disturbances, paleoclimates team

The Ecosystem Dynamics, Ecology of Disturbances, Paleoclimates (DEEP) team reconstructs climate changes, the composition and structuring of past (several million years) and present ecosystems and their spatio-temporal dynamics, in order to improve knowledge of ecological responses to environmental and societal changes. We study the impact of natural and/or anthropogenic disturbances on ecosystems in order to analyze their resilience and their response mechanisms. The past range variability obtained from fossil records can be compared with the current range of variability to assess the effects of human activities. Beyond the fundamental knowledge acquired from paleoecological reconstructions and modelling of past environments, the aim is to transpose this knowledge into information that can be used for ecosystem management and developing planning policies that promote the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
The tools used in the team are multiple and complementary: pollen, phytoliths, charcoal, isotopes, environmental DNA extracted from natural archives (peat, lake sediments), tree rings and modelling.