Evolutionary responses to the changing climate: from systems biology to global biogeochemistry

Join us for a series of short introductory talks from participants, followed by a chaired discussion focussing on the key challenges and strategic opportunities in this area.

Afternoon tea will be provided.

The workshop will end with an informal networking session with drinks.

To attend, please register with Lois Spence 01392 722312.

About the workshop

This workshop aims to explore interactions between organismal biology and earth systems, and how our improving understanding of basic biology of growth control, carbon assimilation, phenology and the evolution of these traits, possibly incorporating systems approaches, will be useful for understanding the earth system response to climate change.

Questions covered will include:

• Can earth systems modelling exploit the latest findings in physiology and phenology to improve model uncertainties?
• Is there a role for multiscale modelling of biological systems in understanding the carbon cycle?
• The importance of acclimation, adaptation and evolution in our understanding of carbon cycle dynamics.

We will bring together experts in plant and animal physiology, phenology, evolutionary theory, systems biology, vegetation dynamics, earth systems science and climate modelling for a broad ranging discussion to identify key questions and explore whether we can exploit our strategic advantages in new cross-disciplinary approaches.

Confirmed participants cover a range of departments including mathematics, biosciences, geography and the Met Office Hadley Centre.

This workshop forms part of a project funded through the Bridging The Gaps development fund. The project has remaining funds to support groups of participants who wish to organise a follow-on meeting.

For more information, please contact the project lead Steve Penfield.