Analyzing plant extinction rates reveals potential losses amid mammoth steppe ecosystem collapse during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition.
The study investigates potential plant extinctions linked to the loss of the Pleistocene mammoth steppe ecosystem and megafauna extinctions using ancient plant DNA metabarcoding from sediment cores collected over the last 28,000 years. The research was conducted by various experts from different institutions, using data from lakes in Siberia and Alaska.
It covers environmental changes and extinctions estimated over the last 28,000 years, peaking around 17,000 and 9,000 years ago. Research sites include lakes across Siberia and Alaska, corresponding with the historical range of the mammoth steppe ecosystem.
Understanding plant extinction patterns is increasingly important as ecosystems worldwide face anthropogenic pressures and climate change impacts, and this study offers insights by examining natural historical contexts. The methodology includes the analysis of sediment cores using ancient DNA techniques to detect plant taxa over time, allowing researchers to estimate extinction rates and understand contributing factors like temperature changes and megafauna extinction.
Overall, the study estimated potential plant extinction rates of 1.7–5.9 extinctions per million species years (E/MSY) during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. “Our results indicate herbaceous taxa and taxa contributing less to beta diversity are more vulnerable to extinction,” the authors say.
They note, “By analogy to our results from the past, this may indicate environmental response to recent widespread anthropogenic vegetation turnover will happen far in the future.”
The findings from this research indicate significant ties between historical climate shifts, megafauna extinctions, and plant community dynamics.
This paper illuminates the vulnerability of plant species during major climatic upheavals, giving insights relevant to current and future conservation efforts as we contend with similar changes today.