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http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11209.html We ship printed books within 1 business day; personal PDFs are available immediately. The Geological Record of Ecological Dynamics: Understanding the Biotic Effects of Future Environmental Change Committee on the Geologic Record of Biosphere Dynamics, National Research Council ISBN: 0-309-54844-6, 216 pages, 6 x 9, (2005) This PDF is available from the National Academies Press at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11209.html Visit the National Academies Press online, the authoritative source for all books from the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council: • Download hundreds of free books in PDF • Read thousands of books online for free • Explore our innovative research tools – try the “Research Dashboard” now! • Sign up to be notified when new books are published • Purchase printed books and selected PDF files Thank you for downloading this PDF. 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The Geological Record of Ecological Dynamics: Understanding the Biotic Effects of Future Environmental Change http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11209.html Committee on the Geologic Record of Biosphere Dynamics Board on Earth Sciences and Resources Board on Life Sciences Division on Earth and Life Studies THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS Washington, D.C. www.nap.edu Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. The Geological Record of Ecological Dynamics: Understanding the Biotic Effects of Future Environmental Change http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11209.html THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS • 500 Fifth Street, N.W. • Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Gov- erning Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engi- neering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government. Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Con- tract No. 0106060 and by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department of the Interior, under Award No. 01HQAG0216. International Standard Book Number 0-309-09580-8 (Book) International Standard Book Number 0-309-54844-6 (PDF) Library of Congress Control Number: 2005924162 Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet http://www.nap.edu Cover: Background photograph shows mollusk shells on the Colorado River delta in Mexico, which record the biotas and environmental conditions prior to up- stream diversion of freshwater. Radiocarbon, amino acid, and growth line analy- ses of the shells, together with oxygen and carbon stable isotope analyses, provide detailed chronologies of temperature, salinity, productivity, and other environ- mental parameters. Photo courtesy Karl W. Flessa. Outcrop photograph shows rhythmically bedded Late Cretaceous (~87 Ma) limestones and shales in the Terlingua Creek canyon of West Texas. The geologic record can be used as an ecological laboratory when rocks preserve a near-continuous sequence of repeated environmental and biotic change; photo courtesy Brad Sageman. Copyright 2005 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. The Geological Record of Ecological Dynamics: Understanding the Biotic Effects of Future Environmental Change http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11209.html The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal govern- ment on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engi- neering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal gov- ernment. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineer- ing communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. www.national-academies.org Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. The Geological Record of Ecological Dynamics: Understanding the Biotic Effects of Future Environmental Change http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11209.html COMMITTEE ON THE GEOLOGIC RECORD OF BIOSPHERE DYNAMICS: THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE BIOTIC EFFECTS OF FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE KARL W. FLESSA, Chair, University of Arizona, Tucson STEPHEN T. JACKSON, Vice Chair, University of Wyoming, Laramie JOHN D. ABER, University of New Hampshire, Durham MICHAEL A. ARTHUR, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PETER R. CRANE, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom DOUGLAS H. ERWIN, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. RUSSELL W. GRAHAM, Pennsylvania State University, University Park JEREMY B.C. JACKSON, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego SUSAN M. KIDWELL, The University of Chicago, Illinois CHRISTOPHER G. MAPLES, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada CHARLES H. PETERSON, University of North Carolina, Morehead City O. JAMES REICHMAN, University of California, Santa Barbara Liaison from the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources DAVID L. DILCHER, University of Florida, Gainesville National Research Council Staff DAVID A. FEARY, Study Director (Board on Earth Sciences and Resources) ROBIN A. SCHOEN, Senior Program Officer (Board on Life Sciences) JENNIFER T. ESTEP, Administrative Associate RADHIKA S. CHARI, Senior Project Assistant (until 04/04) AMANDA M. ROBERTS, Project Assistant (from 06/04) iv Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. The Geological Record of Ecological Dynamics: Understanding the Biotic Effects of Future Environmental Change http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11209.html BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair, University of Virginia, Charlottesville M. LEE ALLISON, Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence JILL BANFIELD, University of California, Berkeley STEVEN R. BOHLEN, Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Washington, D.C. ADAM M. DZIEWONSKI, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts RHEA L. GRAHAM, New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, Albuquerque ROBYN HANNIGAN, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro V. RAMA MURTHY, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis RAYMOND A. PRICE, Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada MARK SCHAEFER, NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia STEVEN M. STANLEY, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland