Integrated leaf trait analysis – a new tool for analyzing European Paleogene ecosystems

该项目将联合收割机与现代叶功能性状和虫害分析方法相结合，为古近纪叶组合的古生态学研究提供一种新的有意义的工具。这种新的方法称为综合叶性状分析将被引入到更好地表征生态系统的结构和陆地生态系统的功能，特别是那些缺乏动物化石数据。主要项目的目的是调查主要的环境变化，特别是气候和植物区系的变化，对这些古生态系统中的植物经济和营养网络的影响。特别是它涉及的问题，这些变化如何影响功能叶性状和植物和昆虫之间的相互作用。为了研究和量化叶片性状的变化和虫害对叶片的影响，选取了始新世晚期、渐新世早期和渐新世晚期3个不同地层水平和古北海沿海平原及其火山状腹地2个不同生境的化石叶片组合。沿海平原化石组合来自德国中部的莱比锡湾，火山状生境化石组合主要位于北方波希米亚。这一约13 Ma的时间间隔包括全球重要的气候变化，如始新世-渐新世更替和渐新世晚期变暖，同时也是植被变化的显着时期。这两种不同的生境与不同的沉积环境和沉积相类型有关。叶性状的预期相依赖性将在三个给定的时间间隔内进行跟踪和量化。重要的形态和形态测量叶性状是定性参数，如性状组合类型的确定和定量参数，如叶大小、单位面积叶质量和圆形度。研究结果的重要性应通过研究德国和捷克共和国的几个公共科学收藏馆提供的大量标本来保证。长期的古生态学研究涉及三个连续的研究目标：（1）记录沿海平原和火山型内陆群落功能叶性状和昆虫植食性的特征模式;（2）认识气候变化对两种生境类型功能叶性状和昆虫植食性模式的影响;（3）以中国西南地区一个类似森林为例，对化石记录的意义进行评价。预计调查支持的假设，化石叶组合只作为基本的环境代理，如果叶性状，昆虫植食性和埋藏过程进行了连贯的调查。为了实现这些目标，申请人的工作组与经验丰富的PI及其工作组合作。

The project will be conducted to combine modern approaches for analyzing functional leaf traits and insect damage on leaves for establishing a new meaningful tool for palaeoecological studies of Paleogene leaf assemblages. This new approach named Integrated Leaf Trait Analysis will be introduced to better characterize ecosystem structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, especially those that lack data from animal fossils. Main project aim is the investigation how major environmental alterations, especially climate and floristic changes, impact on plant economics and trophic network in these palaeoecosystems. In particular it deals with the question how these changes influenced functional leaf traits and the interaction between plants and insect herbivores. To figure out and quantify shifts and changes of leaf traits and insect damage on leaves fossil leaf assemblages from three distinct stratigraphic levels, i.e. late Eocene, early Oligocene and late Oligocene, and from two distinct habitats, i.e. the coastal plains of the Palaeo-North Sea and its volcanic-shaped hinterland are selected. Coastal plain fossil assemblages are selected from the central German Leipzig Embayment and assemblages from volcanic-shaped habitats are mainly located in Northern Bohemia. The approximately 13 Ma long time interval includes globally important climate shifts such as the Eocene-Oligocene turnover and the late Oligocene warming which are simultaneously remarkably periods of vegetation change. The two distinct habitats are linked to distinct depositional settings and sedimentary facies types. Expected facies dependencies of leaf traits will be traced and quantified within the three given time intervals. Important morphological and morphometric leaf traits are qualitative parameters such as the determination of the Trait Combination Type and quantitative parameters such as leaf size, leaf mass per area and circularity. The significance of the results should be guaranteed by studying large quantities of specimens which are provided by several public scientific collections in Germany and the Czech Republic. The long-term palaeoecological study addresses three consecutive study aims: (1) recording characteristic pattern of functional leaf traits and insect herbivory for coastal plain assemblages and volcanic-shaped hinterland assemblages, (2) recognizing the impact of climate related changes on functional leaf traits and insect herbivory pattern in both habitat types, and (3) evaluation of the meaningfulness of the fossil record by a case study in a similar extant forest in SW China. It is expected that the investigations support the hypothesis that fossil leaf assemblages only serve as fundamental environmental proxy if leaf traits, insect herbivory and taphonomic processes are coherently investigated. To achieve these goals applicant’s working group collaborates with experienced PIs and their working groups.