2026 PS Short Course at GSATrait-based paleoecology and deep time Earth systems: From cells to ecosystems across the PhanerozoicThe challenge with conducting research in deep time plant-climate interactions is that it involves an interdisciplinary intersection of geosphere and biosphere functional knowledge. That is, specialized knowledge of ecosystem processes, plant physiology, climate science, and evolutionary history, as well as the ability to run basic computer simulations. This short course will give researchers a primer on using quantitative information from fossil material for functional reconstruction of extinct plants and ecosystems. Lectures will introduce vegetation-climate interactions in the context of Phanerozoic plant evolution. Attendees will learn basic plant biophysics related to water transport, acquire measurements from plant fossils, and integrate these measurements into simulations using a paleo-ecosystem model, Paleo-BGC. Attendees will measure plant functional traits from fossils (paleo-traits, e.g., stomatal conductance and cavitation water potential), and we will demonstrate the impact of paleo-traits on the physiology of living plants using modern equipment (e.g., an infrared gas analyzer, a porometer, a light microscope). Using provided climate scenarios drawn from deep-time episodes of vegetation turnover, attendees will test their own hypotheses about the interaction between the paleo-traits they measured and climate by running paleo-ecosystem simulations (Paleo-BGC). The expected outcomes of this short course include training the next generation of interdisciplinary Earth and climate scientists on cutting-edge ecosystem models and key biological parameters, in the present and in deep time; increasing the quantitative skills and computational literacy of future Earth scientists and paleobiologists; and providing hands-on experience with plant physiological equipment. Tentative Schedule: 9:00–9:45 — Coffee and introductions (people and plants) 9:30–10:15 — Course background and motivation: Surface Processes and Plant Evolution 10:15–11:30 — Practical 1: Hands-on gas exchange physiology and anatomy: Stomatal Gmax and Gop 11:30–12:15 — Mathematical models and paleo-traits: Water transport from "Cells to Ecosystems" 12:15–1:15 — Lunch 1:15–2:30 — Practical 2: Measuring plant/fossil anatomy and calculating paleo-traits 1:45–2:30 — Simulation modeling primer 2:30–3:15 — Practical 3: Paleo-BGC experiment — two PFTs, two environments 3:15–5:00 — Snacks/coffee, debrief/closing remarks/prospectus and discussion Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026 Registration for GSA Connects 2026 is NOT required to attend the short course. Short course is FREE!
Speaker Information: TBD PS Code of Conduct |