Exploring Temporal Changes in the Composition of Macroalgal Communities by Using Collections

Marine Robuchon (1) , Eric Feunteun (2) , Romain Julliard (3) , Florence Rousseau (1) , Line Le Gall (1) , Roseli Pellens (1)

1 ISYEB - Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité
2 BOREA - Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques
3 CESCO - Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation

This chapter assesses the feasibility of using natural history collections to trace temporal changes in species distribution and community composition using the example of macroalgae that are preserved as herbaria. The preservation of plants in herbaria began during the Renaissance. This technique required paper and became widespread in the 18th century thanks to technical advances in paper production. Plant classifications have been developed on the basis of the diversity of forms of reproductive organs. The algal herbarium of the Dinard maritime laboratory has been recently transferred to the Herbier national du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle de Paris in the cryptogamy section. It is possible to explore temporal changes in species distribution from collections under certain conditions, either by using only the observations or by using those observations to model species distribution. Algal community composition and species distribution are being impacted by global change and in particular by increasing seawater temperatures and heat waves

Domains: Vegetal Biology; Biodiversity; Molecular biology; Systematics, Phylogenetics and taxonomy; Life Sciences [q-bio]

Marine Robuchon, Eric Feunteun, Romain Julliard, Florence Rousseau, Line Le Gall, et al.. Exploring Temporal Changes in the Composition of Macroalgal Communities by Using Collections. Natural History Collections in the Science of the 21st Century: A Sustainable Resource for Open Science, ISTE, Wiley, pp.235-250, 2021, Biology, Systematcs, Phylogenimics and Taxonomy, 978-1-78945-049-1 978-1-119-88223-7. ⟨mnhn-03514763⟩