Prehistoric changes in vegetation could predict future of Earth’s ecosystems

Dramatic changes in the Earth's vegetation at the end of the last ice age could be a sign of future climate driven changes if greenhouse gas emissions are not cut. New research by an international team of scientists, including researchers at Durham University's Department of Biosciences , found that the Earth's vegetation underwent major changes as the last ice age came to an end 14,000 years ago and the planet warmed. The researchers used their analysis of how vegetation changed after the last ice age to project how much current ecosystems could change in the 21st Century and beyond as global warming progresses. They found that current warming from climate change might drive an equally dramatic change in vegetation within the next 100 to 150 years unless greenhouse-gas emissions are reduced. The research, led by the University of Arizona , USA, is published in the journal Science . Future climatic changes The team analysed published reports for 594 sites from every continent except Antarctica, making it the most comprehensive compilation of vegetation and ecological data covering the period from the height of the ice ages 21,000 years ago to the pre-industrial era. Durham University was responsible for the assessment of data from the European region.