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Dr Alistair S. JumpLecturer in Plant EcologyPhD - University of Sheffield (2003)
School
of Biological & Environmental Sciences
tel: +44 1786 467848 |
Teaching
Programme director:
Environmental Science and Outdoor Education
Coordinator:
- ENV5A5 Environmental Policy and Management
- ENV6T6 Spanish Field Course
- ENV8RE Restoration Ecology
- EOE1S1 Navigation and Mountain Skills
- EOE2S2 Theory and Practice of Outdoor Education
- EOE3S3 Mountain Leader Training
- EOE4S4 Eco-Education
- EOE5S5 Responsibilities and Safety in Outdoor Education
- EOE6S6 Mountain Leader Assessment
Contributor:
- SCI2FS Field Skills
- ENV5T5 Advanced Analytical Techniques
- ENMPO21 Environmental and Ecological Systems
Research interests
Plant responses to climate change - from biome to genome.
Determinants of species distributions at global and local scales.
Geographic patterns in plant ecology and population genetics.
Maintenance and loss of genetic diversity in natural plant populations.
Evolutionary responses to range shifts and habitat fragmentation.
Integration of population genetics with ecology and palaeobotany.
Forest conservation and sustainability
Recent Research
Comparative phylogeography of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and southern Kenya.
This ancient mountain chain is estimated to be up to 30 million years old and supports some of the oldest tropical forest in Africa. Theory suggests the mountains may have supported uninterrupted forest cover for tens of millions of years – despite the pronounced climatic upheavals occurring elsewhere. In work conducted with the KITE group at the University of York, this project is using comparative phylogeographic techniques to identify past impacts of environmental change or stability on the local genetic structure of common tree species.
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A view across the Udzungwa mountains in the Eastern Arc chain |
Impacts of climate change on forest forming trees
Anthropogenic climate change is one of the most important environmental issues of our time. The 20th century experienced the strongest warming trend of the last millennium with average temperatures rising about 0.6 degrees C - it is expected that future temperature rises will exceed this. As a consequence of rising temperatures, we’re now witnessing the upward movement of plant species in mountain areas and their latitudinal movement toward the poles. In work conducted in collaboration with Josep Peñuelas of CREAF, Barcelona, we are assessing the effects of climate change on temperate forest (dominated by European beech – Fagus sylvatica) using a combination of molecular and ecological techniques. Our recent work has identified that climate change is leading to a rapid reduction in growth at its lower altitudinal limit. Furthermore, rapid rises in temperature appear to be driving directional genetic changes within the population – a similar genetic impact to that seen in the shrub Fumana thymifolia in a long-term climate manipulation experiment nearby.
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The upper beech treeline on Turó de l’Home in the Montseny Mountains, NE Spain |
Maintenance and loss of genetic diversity
In the Montseny region we’ve also been using molecular markers to identify impacts of historic habitat reduction and look at current patterns of genetic structure within the forest. We have found that fragmentation has led to a break up of the near 'panmictic' breeding system seen in continuous forest - forest fragments become more different from one another genetically as the distance between them increases, whereas continuous forest populations do not. Fragmented populations of F. sylvatica are also more inbred and lower in genetic diversity than their continuous forest counterparts - and this genetic decline appears to be ongoing.
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The lower beech limit at Montseny – where beech (brown) is rapidly replaced by the evergreen holm oak, Quercus ilex |
Further information on my past and present research can be found at www.biogeo.org
Publications
Please email me to request a copy of any of the following publications
Research papers
Jump A. S., L. Cavin, P. Hunter. (in press). Monitoring and managing responses to climate change at the retreating range edge of forest trees. Journal of Environmental Monitoring
Jump A. S., C. Mátyás, and J. Peñuelas. (2009). The altitude-for-latitude disparity in the range retractions of woody species. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 24: 694-701
Jump A. S., L. Rico, F. Lloret, and J. Peñuelas. (2009). Fine scale population genetic structure of the Mediterranean shrub Fumana thymifolia. Plant Biology. 11: 152-160
Jump A.S., R. Marchant , J. Peñuelas. (2009). Environmental change and the option value of genetic diversity. Trends in Plant Science. 14: 51-58.
Peñuelas J, R. Ogaya, J. M. Hunt and A. S. Jump. (2008). 20th century changes of tree-ring d13C at the southern range-edge of Fagus sylvatica. Increasing water-use efficiency does not avoid the growth decline induced by warming at low altitudes. Global change Biology 14: 1076-1088.
Jump A. S., J. Peñuelas, L. Rico, E. Ramallo, M. Estiarte, J. A. Martínez-Izquierdo and F. Lloret. (2008). Simulated climate change provokes rapid genetic change in the Mediterranean shrub Fumana thymifolia. Global Change Biology 14: 637-643.
Peñuelas J, R. Ogaya, M. Boada, and A. S. Jump. (2007). Migration, invasion and decline: changes in recruitment and forest structure in a warming-linked biome shift in Catalonia (NE Spain). Ecography 30: 829-837.
Jump, A. S., J. M. Hunt, and J. Penuelas. (2007). Climate relationships of growth and establishment across the altitudinal range of Fagus sylvatica in NE Spain. Ecoscience 14: 507-518.
Jump, A. S., and J. Peñuelas. (2007). Extensive spatial genetic structure revealed by AFLP but not SSR molecular markers in the wind-pollinated tree, Fagus sylvatica. Molecular Ecology 16: 925-936
Jump, A. S., J. M. Hunt, and J. Peñuelas. (2006). Rapid climate change-related growth decline at the southern range-edge of Fagus sylvatica. Global Change Biology 12: 2163-2174.
Jump, A. S., J. M. Hunt, J. A. Martínez-Izquierdo, and J. Peñuelas. (2006). Natural selection and climate change: temperature-linked spatial and temporal trends in gene frequency in Fagus sylvatica. Molecular Ecology 15: 3469-3480.
Jump, A. S., and J. Peñuelas. (2006). Genetic effects of chronic habitat fragmentation in a wind-pollinated tree. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 103: 8096-8100.
Jump, A. S., and J. Peñuelas. (2005). Running to stand still: adaptation and the response of plants to rapid climate change. Ecology Letters 8: 1010-1020.
Jump, A. S., and F. I. Woodward. (2003). Seed production and population density decline approaching the range-edge of Cirsium species. New Phytologist 160: 349-358.
Jump, A. S., F. I. Woodward, and T. Burke. (2003). Cirsium species show disparity in patterns of genetic variation at their range-edge, despite similar patterns of reproduction and isolation. New Phytologist 160: 359-370.
Jump, A. S., D. A. Dawson, C. M. James, F. I. Woodward, and T. Burke. (2002). Isolation of polymorphic microsatellites in the stemless thistle (Cirsium acaule) and their utility in other Cirsium species. Molecular Ecology Notes 2: 589-592.
Chapters in edited books
Peñuelas J, M, Estiarte, P. Prieto, J. Sardans, A. Jump J. M. Moreno, I. Torres, B. Céspides, E. Pla, S. Sabaté and C. Gracia (2010). Projected Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity in Mediterranean Ecosystems. In Atlas of Biodiversity (eds J Settele , L Penev, T Georgiev, R Grabaum, V Grobelnik, V Hammen, S Klotz, M Kotarac, I Kühn). Pensoft, Sofia, pp 76-77.
Peñuelas J, I. Filella, M. Estiarte, R. Ogaya, J. Llusià, J. Sardans, A. Jump, M. Garbulsky, M. Coll, M. Diaz de Quijano, R. Seco, J. Salvador Blanch, S. Owen, J. Curiel, J. Carnicer, M. Boada, C. Stefanescu, F. Lloret and J. Terradas (2009). Constatacions biològiques del canvi climàtic a Catalunya. In: Aigua i canvi climàtic: Diagnosi dels impactes previstos a Catalunya (eds N Prat, A Manzano). Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Medi Ambient i Habitatge, Agencia Catalana de l'Aigua, Barcelona, pp 43-52.
Peñuelas, J., A. S. Jump, J. Sardans, I. Filella, M. Estiarte, R. Ogaya, J. Llusià, S. Owen, and F. Lloret. (2008). From phosphorus and VOCs to biodiversity: some studies on the effects of global change inspired by Margalef's legacy. In: Unity in diversity: reflections on ecology after the legacy of Ramon Margalef (eds F Valladares, A Camacho, A Elosegi, C Gracia, M Estrada, JC Senar, JM Gili). Fundación BBVA, Bilbao, pp 83-94.
Non SCI research papers
Jump A. S. (2009). A finer focus on glacial refugia in the Mediterranean region. Frontiers of Biogeography 1: 5
Peñuelas, J., I. Filella, M. Estiarte, R. Ogaya, J. Llusià, J. Sardans, A. Jump, M. Garbulsky, B. Carrillo, C. Stefanescu, F. Lloret, and J. Terradas. (2008). El canvi climàtic altera i alterarà la vida als ecosistemes terrestres Catalans. L’Atzavara 16: 13-28
Other theses and reports
Jump A. S., R. Mayhew and C. Wilson. (2009). Vegetation survey and analysis of RSPB Skinflats reserve: baseline survey prior to the introduction of a regulated tidal exchange scheme. Report to: RSPB Scotland, South and West Region.
Jump A., and B. Penny. (2006). Lead rakes project. Flagg, Sheldon and Taddington Derbyshire: Technical report. Report to: Peak District National Park Authority and English Nature.
Ahrends A, A. Jump, J. C. Lovett, and R. Marchant. (2006). Vegetation data analysis Mselezi Forest Reserve. Report to Frontier-Tanzania (BREAM project).
Jump A. S. (2004). Species parameterisation of SDGVM for project ‘Siberia II’. Report to: SCEOS/CTCD, Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Sheffield, UK.
Jump A. S. (2003). Plant species at the edge of their geographical range: Reproduction, isolation and genetic diversity of range edge populations of Cirsium species in the Peak District. Report to: Peak District National Park Authority (Ecology Service) and English Nature (Peak District and Derbyshire Team).
Jump A. S. (2003). Plant species in core areas of their geographical range: Reproduction, population density and genetic diversity of Cirsium acaule and C. eriophorum populations on Salisbury Plain. Report to: Defence Estates (Conservation Office, Salisbury Plain).
Jump A. S. (2002). Geographic patterns in the distribution, productivity and population genetic structure of Cirsium species across their UK geographic range. PhD thesis, University of Sheffield, UK.
Jump A. S. (1998). Edaphic factors determining plant community composition on a metaliferous mine site on Bonsall Moor, Derbyshire, UK. Report to: Peak District National Park Authority (Ecology Service).
Invited conference and workshop presentations
Jump, A. S. 2010. Integrating dendroecology and population genetics to identify future changes in the diversity and distribution of tree species. PopBio2010: Plant Population Biology Crossing Borders. Nijmegen.
Jump, A. S. 2010. Integrating historic demography with contemporary population genetics to predict future population changes. Long-Term Ecology in Habitat Management. Stirling.
Jump, A. S. 2009. Climate change and natural selection: studying evolutionary responses to drought and warming in natural populations. Institute for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, China Medical University, Taichung.
Jump, A. S. 2009. Ecological and biogeographical impacts of a rapidly warming world on forest ecosystems. Keynote presentation. Darwin 200: International Symposium on Global Biodiversity, Human Health and Wellbeing, Taichung.
Jump, A. S. 2009. Ecological and evolutionary impacts of rapid climate change on woody plant species. Keynote presentation. Plants for the Future: Annual Congress of the German Botanical Society, Leipzig.
Jump, A. S. 2009. Evolutionary impacts of climate change on natural populations. Workshop on Global Change and Plant Microevolution (University of Bern), Mürren.
Jump, A. S. 2009. Impending impacts of rising temperatures at the xeric range limits of woody species. EVOLTREE Workshop on Forests at the Limit - Selective Environment at the Receding (Xeric) Edge of Forest Trees: Distribution and Consequences (University of Western Hungary), Soporon.
Jump, A. S., J. Peñuelas. 2008. Montane environments as natural laboratories for investigating the ecological and evolutionary impacts of rapid climate change. Plenary lecture. International Symposium on Global Mountain Biodiversity, Taichung.
Jump, A. S., J. Peñuelas. 2007. Ecological and evolutionary impacts of climate change on European beech forest. Ecosystem Management, ETH, Zurich.
Jump, A. S. 2007. Can plants adapt to the changing climate? Studies of evolutionary responses to drought and warming in natural populations. Biology Department, University of York.
Jump, A. S., J. M. Hunt, J. Peñuelas. 2006. Adaptive response to climate change. Effects of climate change on Fagus sylvatica in NE Spain: from ecology to genecology. Meeting of COST action E52: Evaluation of Beech Genetic Resources for Sustainable Forestry, Berlin.
