Abstract
Earth history has been punctuated by five mass extinction events, each of which resulted in major biodiversity loss and wholesale ecosystem reorganization. We are currently experiencing a sixth mass extinction due to anthropogenic causes. Projecting how future global change will influence ecosystem biodiversity is a major challenge and a priority theme of FP6. The main objective of MASSEXTINCT is to investigate the causes and consequences of the fourth greatest mass extinction event in Earth history, which occurred 200 million years ago at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary (Tr'J), and to use an understanding of past biodiversity responses to global climate change to inform contemporary conservation policy. We will achieve these broad objectives by developing a novel and highly multidisciplinary research program, which strongly compliments existing research priorities in University College Dublin, Ireland. We will track fossil plant biodiversity (richness, evenness, heterogeneity) ecology (rarity, dominance, persistence, reproductive strategy, disparity, fire history) in responses to Tr-J global warming, to enhance our understanding of how modern ecosystems may respond to a doubling of carbon dioxide and 1'4ºC global warming by the end of this century. We will couple palaeoecological studies of fossil plants from Kap Stewart Group strata in E. Greenland with physiological experiments on model Tr-J plant communities. The proposed research will position the EU as a leader in the field of pre-quaternary global change biology and will promote Ireland as a hub for innovation in this field. It will encourage mobility within the EU of highly skilled researchers and help to prevent brain drain from the EU by bringing McElwain (team leader) back to Ireland after >11 y ears of research experience in the UK/USA. A major public outreach programme involving lectures, children's workshops and press releases aims to greatly enhance public understanding of biodiversity science.
Europe