Back to agendaABSTRACT
Speakers: ICREA Research Professors Laia Andreu Hayles, from the Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF) and Carla Lancelotti, from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
When: 28th of May 2024, 18:00h
Where: Auditorium FCRI, Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona
Understanding the coupling between human and natural systems is paramount in the current context of climate change. The application of stable isotopic analysis in plant emerges as a robust methodological tool for elucidating the intricate complexities of environmental history, enabling the reconstruction of both climatic shifts and human influences on ecosystems.
Stable isotopes provide insights into the underlying physiological and biochemical processes within plant organisms as response to environmental changes. By analysing variations in isotopic compositions in paleo archives such as tree rings, we can decipher past climate conditions, such as temperature and precipitation variability, providing a unique long-term perspective of environmental dynamics. Moreover, the integration of stable isotopes in archaeobotanical remains such as seeds, pollen or charcoal, among others, offers a unique lens through which to trace the interplay between human activities and nature. Whether detecting shifts in agricultural methodologies or changes in land-use patterns, isotopic analysis allows to elucidate the discernible imprint of anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems. This interdisciplinary approach, combining botanical science and environmental history, empowers scientists to construct a detailed narrative of the co-evolution of climate and human-environment interactions over time.
In this colloquium we will explain how a biologist and an archaeologist can find a common interest in plant stable isotopes and we will show exemplary applications of this technique in our work.
