Trans-Sierra Climatic & Vegetational Contrasts at the Last Glacial Termination: The History of a Major Biogeographic Boundary

戴维斯教授将对花粉沉积物进行分析， 确定东部内华达州山脉的气候影响 加州从末次盛冰期到现在已经发生了变化。 目前，山脉的山脊将旱地植被分隔到东部， 从梅西奇森林植被到西部。 在最后一个冰河时代， 边界不那么尖锐;植被在两个斜坡上相似， 塞拉 这个项目将研究植被变化的时间 并将试图确定降水量和 温度变化导致了植被的变化， 模式. 这项研究的结果将增加我们对 气候和植被变化的过程以及区域 变化与全球变化有关。

Professor Davis will conduct analyses of pollen deposits to determine how the climatic effects of the Sierra Nevada of eastern California have changed from the last glacial maximum to the present. The Sierra crest currently separates dryland vegetation to the east from mesic forest vegetation to the west. In the last glacial age the boundary was not as sharp; vegetation was similar on both slopes of the Sierra. This project will examine the timing of vegetation changes and will attempt to determine what combination of precipitation and temperature changes produced the documented shift in vegetation patterns. The results of this research will increase our understanding of processes of climatic and vegetation change and the ways regional changes are related to global changes.