History's legacy: Why future progress in ecology demands a view of the past

Abstract

History has profoundly affected the composition, distribution, and abundances of species in contemporary ecosystems. A full understanding of how ecosystems work and change must therefore take history into account. We offer four well-studied examples illustrating how a knowledge of history has strengthened interpretations of modern systems: the development of molluscan antipredatory defenses in relation to shell-breaking predators; the North Pacific kelp ecosystem with sea otters, smaller predators, sea urchins, and large herbivores; estuarine ecosystems affected by the decline in oysters and other suspension feeders; and the legacy of extinct large herbivores and frugivores in tropical American forests. Many current ecological problems would greatly benefit from a historical perspective. We highlight four of these: soil depletion and tree stunting in forests related to the disappearance of large consumers; the spread of anoxic dead zones in the ocean, which we argue could be mitigated by restoring predator and suspension-feeding guilds; ocean acidification, which would be alleviated by more nutrient recycling by consumers in the aerobic ecosystem; and the relation between species diversity and keystone predators, a foundational concept that is complicated by simplified trophic relationships in modern ecosystems.

Evolutionary norm-breaking and extinction in the marine tropics

“…During the Neogene, an interval without global mass extinction, the most important disruptions were likely large-scale reductions in either or both benthic and planktic primary productivity, as occurred in large parts of the western Atlantic following the shoaling and emergence of the Central American Isthmus ( 58 ); and major decreases in the extent of shallow-water habitats, as occurred with climatic cooling in the Late Pliocene and Pleistocene in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean ( 53 ). These conclusions are relevant in the light of rapid warming, global overexploitation and extinction of species in the wild, and the continuing effects on productivity caused by these factors ( 59 ).…”

The temperate marine Peruvian Province: How history accounts for its unusual biota

“…In keeping with the view that an appreciation of history is essential to a full understanding of present‐day communities and ecosystems (Estes & Vermeij, 2022 ), we here synthesize evidence and insights from ecology, evolutionary studies, the geological and paleontological record, and comparisons with other ecosystems to evaluate how and to what extent the past has molded the composition, interactions, and future of the temperate nearshore ecosystems of western South America. Among other topics, we consider the role of extinctions, colonization of species from (and exchanges with) nearby regions and habitats, ecological replacements within functional categories (guilds) of species, and the unique features of ancient and modern communities along the Peruvian and Chilean coasts.…”

The contemporary distribution of grasses in Australia: A process of immigration, dispersal and shifting dominance

“…Hartley (1958) outlined the distribution of the major C 4 grass tribes based on observations and species knowledge, while Hattersley (1983) analysed environmental drivers of grasses by manually quantifying and mapping herbarium records, but was hampered by a lack of data. However, simply updating these maps using computerised models of abiotic factors would provide only a limited understanding of our ecosystems, overlooking the role of evolutionary and biogeographical processes in determining why species live where they do, and their capacity to respond to change (Estes & Vermeij, 2022; Spencer, 2020).…”

“…Hartley (1958) outlined the distribution of the major C 4 grass tribes based on observations and species knowledge, while Hattersley (1983) analysed environmental drivers of grasses by manually quantifying and mapping herbarium records, but was hampered by a lack of data. However, simply updating these maps using computerised models of abiotic factors would provide only a limited understanding of our ecosystems, overlooking the role of evolutionary and biogeographical processes in determining why species live where they do, and their capacity to respond to change (Estes & Vermeij, 2022;Spencer, 2020). -Blanquet's (1923) pioneering study of neo and palaeo flora of the French Massif Central was based on the premise that focussing on endemism enables better understanding of past ecological transformations, an approach supported by more recent research (Lazarina et al, 2019;Mishler et al, 2014;Stebbins & Major, 1965).…”