Unraveling the effects of contemporary and historical changes in climate and land use on freshwater biodiversity in high-latitude regions of Europe and North America

This project aims to understand how past and current climate and land uses affect aquatic plant communities in freshwater lakes and rivers in northern latitudes. Aquatic plants are important to freshwater ecosystems, including food for waterfowl, fish, and people. Aquatic plants can also cleanse water and attract fish and birds for enhancing human recreation. Our research compares how freshwater plant communities are affected by climate and land use in parts of Europe in North America, which differ in their climates and land use histories over the past 10000 years. To do so, we use large datasets from around the world and complex computer models to understand relationships of plants and their past and present environments. This information helps natural resource policy makers and wildlife managers to make decisions for water quality standards, land conversion policies, and climate actions to protect plant diversity and the people that depend on healthy freshwater ecosystems.