Biodiversity Seminar: A Climate Perspective on Global Diversity Patterns

Life flourishes in every imaginable environment on Earth, from the heights of towering mountains to the farthest reaches of isolated islands, from sunlit surfaces to the deepest, darkest ocean depths. Yet, this diversity is not spread evenly across the globe. Why, then, are some regions far more biodiverse than others? Is the diversity of life fundamentally tied to the energy available in each habitat? For centuries, naturalists, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists have theorized that biodiversity is linked to available energy—whether directly through solar radiation or a combination of sunlight and water availability, often termed productivity energy. However, while the theoretical basis for these links are strong, empirical evidence has been mixed. The relationship between species diversity and energy availability varies significantly across different organisms and regions, proving to be highly context-dependent. In this talk, I will explore how the relationship between species diversity and energy availability is influenced by additional factors, such as the area and spatial distribution of energy-related conditions. When certain energy conditions are rare or ephemeral, species richness in those environments is limited. This is often due to constraints on species’ ability to disperse to, survive in, or adapt to these conditions. By incorporating the spatial distribution and area of climate conditions into our studies, we begin to see consistent patterns in the relationship between energy availability and global patterns of terrestrial vertebrates diversity. These patterns align closely with theoretical predictions in both ecology and evolutionary biology, offering new insights into the dynamics that shape biodiversity on Earth.

Our public seminars are hybrid, with the option to attend in-person or online.

Zoom webinar: link (ID: 650 3334 2319, Password: 348826)

The Biodiversity Seminar Series are organized by the WSL Biodiversity Center. Every two weeks, we aim to host a seminar speaker who presents research or outreach on topics relevant to the biodiversity community at WSL. The seminars are public and are usually broadcast online.

To find out more about the WSL Biodiversity Center and a complete list of events, please visit our website. 

Please send an email to events-biodiversity(at)wsl.ch if you would like to be updated on the activities of the WSL Biodiversity Center.