The importance of historical ecology for interpreting evolutionary processes in plants of oceanic islands

Oceanic islands, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Lord Howe Island Group, serve as unique laboratories for studying evolutionary processes. This study highlights the critical role of historical ecology in understanding plant evolution on these dynamic landscapes. Over millions of years, islands undergo significant geomorphological changes due to tectonic subsidence and erosion, while human activities in recent centuries have further altered their environments. These changes can obscure original patterns of species distribution and ecology, making it challenging to infer evolutionary processes such as founder effects, genetic variation, and speciation. The research emphasizes the need for caution when comparing islands with different geological ages and varying degrees of human impact, using examples from the Juan Fernández Archipelago and Lord Howe Island to illustrate these complexities.

Stuessy, T. F. (2020). The importance of historical ecology for interpreting evolutionary processes in plants of oceanic islands. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 58(6), 751–766. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12673