Immigration of Oak into Northern South America: a Paleo-Ecological Document

Abstract

In this chapter, a short overview is presented of the paleo-ecological aspects of Neotropical oak forests. On a long time scale, it is shown how oak forest migrated from the north into the Neotropics during Neogene and Pleistocene times. Evidence comes from long marine and terrestrial pollen records that show how the distribution area of Quercus extended southward through Central America, and eventually covered a small area in the northwestern part of South America. On a time scale of the last glacial-interglacial cycle, the dynamic history of oak forest is shown on the basis of a pollen record from Colombia. The aim of this chapter is to place the present-day distribution area, and the ecological requirements of oak forest, in a long-term perspective, in which evolution and speciation within the genus Quercus, the changing paleo-geographical setting of the Neotropics since the Neogene, and migration played an important role. Understanding of the long-term paleo-ecological history can lead to a better understanding of the ecology of modern Neotropical oak forest,with positive feedback to conservation and restoration issues.