Recent research into the seven most common forest trees in Europe has shown an ability to maintain their genetic diversity, despite millions of years of varying environmental conditions. This offers some hope as the world continues to face climate change. Phys.org reported on the study, which originally appeared in Nature Communications.
Pascal Milesi, Associate Professor of Plant Ecology and Evolution at Uppsala University, says this is really positive: "These trees are keystone species on which many other species depend."
Researchers focused on the genetic traits of these trees and were surprised to learn they had high genetic diversity and were resilient to extreme changes to their climates, namely an ice age. Milesi says they can potentially attribute the high genetic diversity to tree pollen, as it can travel for thousands of miles.
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Due to the height of trees and wind gusts, tree pollen can fertilize other trees a significant distance away, according to Allergy & Clinical Immunology. Great for biodiversity, not so much for your allergies.
"This is a welcome sign," noted Milesi, who authored the study. "The evolutionary processes that were at play in the past may also be useful to cope with today's rapid climate change."
This study also supports the theory that protecting pollinators is good for the environment. Preserving pollinator populations is important for humans, because they protect our food supply and help maintain a healthy, diverse ecosystem. In the Amazon rainforest, pollinators have been deprived of necessary resources, and researchers are already seeing alarming effects.
Trees do more than spread their pollen. They also aid in carbon sequestration — the process of storing carbon in vegetation, soil, etc. — as well as providing habitats for countless other species, contributing largely to biodiversity.
With the endangered and extinct species list ever growing, Milesi says it's not time to give up yet: "This study sends a positive signal about our forest and provides important information to help manage forest biodiversity in the face of climate change."
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