“This is a good sign”

Recent studies of seven of Europe’s most common forest trees have shown the ability to maintain their genetic diversity despite millions of years of changing environmental conditions. This offers some hope as the world continues to face climate change. Phys.org reported on the study, which originally appeared in the journal 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.”

The researchers focused on the genetic makeup of these trees and were surprised to learn that they had high genetic diversity and were resistant to extreme climate change, namely the Ice Age. Milesi says they could potentially attribute the high genetic diversity to tree pollen, since it can travel thousands of miles.

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According to Allergy & Clinical Immunology, due to tree height and wind gusts, tree pollen can fertilize other trees a considerable distance away. Great for biodiversity, not your allergies.

“This is a welcome sign,” said Milesi, the study’s author. “Evolutionary processes that occurred in the past may also be useful in combating today’s rapid climate change.”

This study also supports the theory that protecting pollinators is good for the environment. Preserving pollinator populations is important to humans because they protect our food supply and help maintain a healthy, diverse ecosystem. In the Amazon rainforest, pollinators have been deprived of essential resources, and researchers are already seeing alarming consequences.

Trees do more than just spread pollen. They also promote carbon sequestration—the process of storing carbon in vegetation, soil, etc.—and also provide habitat for countless other species, making a major contribution to biodiversity.

With the list of endangered and extinct species growing, Milesi says it’s not time to give up: “This study sends a positive message about our forests and provides important information to help manage forest biodiversity in the face of climate change.”

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