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Conference Papers Year : 2021

Tectonic reshaping of the biosphere

Laurent Husson
  • Function : Author
  • PersonId : 1066809
Florian Boucher
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  • PersonId : 1127782
Pieter van Der Beek
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  • PersonId : 1127193
Robert Xavier
de Leeuw Arjan
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  • PersonId : 1127194

Abstract

. The richness of biodiversity is often scrutinized through the lens of mountain belts, because their typical altitudinal and latitudinal expressions provide grounds for solid arguments on the biodiversification mechanisms at play. We carried out a meta-analysis of species range worldwide, and show that regions of high biodiversity cluster in regions that are tectonically active, but not only in mountain belts, and even more strongly in oceans than in continents. Further, biodiversity relates to tectonic strain rates, in other words the rate at which the landscape is remodeled. We contend that it is the time derivative of the physiography (and of its functional characteristics) and not its instantaneous state that dictate the amount of species that a given region may host. The rate at which habitat connectivity is disrupted or the transience of niches seemingly prevails over the longterm stability of dispersal routes and habitat morphologies. Future research should consider the dynamics of the solid Earth as a primordial control on the distribution of species at its surface.
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Dates and versions

hal-03588229 , version 1 (24-02-2022)

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  • HAL Id : hal-03588229 , version 1

Cite

Laurent Husson, Florian Boucher, Pierre Sepulchre, Pieter van Der Beek, Robert Xavier, et al.. Tectonic reshaping of the biosphere. 27e édition de la Réunion des Sciences de la Terre, SGF, CNRS, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon ou l’étude de la Terre, des planètes et de l’environnement, Nov 2021, Lyon, France. ⟨hal-03588229⟩
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