Microrefugia |
| |
Authors: | Valentí Rull |
| |
Affiliation: | Palynology and Paleoecology Group, CSIC-Botanic Institute of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain |
| |
Abstract: | The concept of microrefugia is widely accepted to explain the post-glacial colonization of continents, which led to the present-day biotic configuration of the Earth. However, so far, microrefugia are no more than a 'theoretical necessity' without an appropriate biogeographical and ecological characterization. Here, a tentative definition and a classification of microrefugia, based on the existing literature, are proposed for discussion. A deeper biogeographical analysis of the concept is suggested using novel ecological models and methods, in order to develop new hypotheses to be tested with palaeoecological and molecular phylogenetic tools. |
| |
Keywords: | Climate change colonization glacial interglacial microhabitat persistence Pleistocene refugia |
|
|