2026 PS Short Course at GSA

Trait-based paleoecology and deep time Earth systems: From cells to ecosystems across the Phanerozoic 

The challenge with conducting research in deep time plant-climate interactions is that it involves an interdisciplinary intersection of geosphere and biosphere functional knowledge. That is, specialized knowledge of ecosystem processes, plant physiology, climate science, and evolutionary history, as well as the ability to run basic computer simulations.

This short course will give researchers a primer on using quantitative information from fossil material for functional reconstruction of extinct plants and ecosystems. Lectures will introduce vegetation-climate interactions in the context of Phanerozoic plant evolution.

Attendees will learn basic plant biophysics related to water transport, acquire measurements from plant fossils, and integrate these measurements into simulations using a paleo-ecosystem model, Paleo-BGC. Attendees will measure plant functional traits from fossils (paleo-traits, e.g., stomatal conductance and cavitation water potential), and we will demonstrate the impact of paleo-traits on the physiology of living plants using modern equipment (e.g., an infrared gas analyzer, a porometer, a light microscope).

Using provided climate scenarios drawn from deep-time episodes of vegetation turnover, attendees will test their own hypotheses about the interaction between the paleo-traits they measured and climate by running paleo-ecosystem simulations (Paleo-BGC).

The expected outcomes of this short course include training the next generation of interdisciplinary Earth and climate scientists on cutting-edge ecosystem models and key biological parameters, in the present and in deep time; increasing the quantitative skills and computational literacy of future Earth scientists and paleobiologists; and providing hands-on experience with plant physiological equipment.

Tentative Schedule:

8:30-9am Coffee and introductions [pre-course survey]
9-9:30am: Course background and motivation - Surface Processes and Plant evolution
9:30-11am: Practical 1 - ands on gas exchange physiology and anatomy: Stomatal Gmax and Gop
11:30 - 12:00pm:  Mathematical models and paleo-traits: Water transport from "Cells to ecosystems" 
12-1:30pm - Lunch
1:30-2:30pm - Practical 2 - Measuring plant/-fossil anatomy and calculating paleo-traits
2:30-3:00pm - Simulation modeling primer
3:00-4:30pm - Practical 3 - Paleo-BGC experiment
4:30-5:00pm - Snacks/coffee, debrief/closing remarks/prospectus and discussion [post-course survey]

Course Instructors:
Pr. Daniel Peppe, Baylor University
Pr. Jonathan P. Wilson, Haverford College
Pr. Joseph D. White, Haverford College
Wray Jones, Baylor University
Kyra Dimitropolis, Baylor University 
Dr. William J. Matthaeus, Trinity College Dublin

Target Audience: Scientists of all career stages interested in ecohydrology, paleoecology, trait-based ecology and other related fields. 

Pre-requisites: None. 

Recommended for the best experience: Bring your own computer. Create an account on posit.cloud, and send the account name to [email protected] so that we can share the course workspace ahead of time, and you can familiarize yourself with the R Studio interface ahead of time. While this is not required for attendance, it is required for all hands-on computing exercises, and we will have limited capacity to help with setup on the day. 

If you plan on attending, please fill out this google form.

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM | Check-in starts at 7:45AM
Location: (Convention Center) - Bluebird Ballroom 2C

Registration for GSA Connects 2026 is NOT required to attend the short course. Short course is FREE!