There has been an upsurge of interest and research activity in trait-based approaches in ecology, biogeography, and macroecology. I discuss if this upsurge has impacted Quaternary botany (the study of plant remains preserved in sediments). I show that ecological attributes (including traits) have played and continue to play an integral part in the interpretation of Quaternary botanical data in terms of reconstructing past environments and interpreting long-term changes in plant assemblages. This use started over 120 years ago and continues to the present. It is unclear if a “new” Quaternary botany based on traits will develop because of the taxonomic limitations of much Quaternary botanical data.

中文翻译：

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关于第四纪植物学生态属性和性状利用的思考

在生态学、生物地理学和宏观生态学中，对基于特征的方法的兴趣和研究活动激增。我讨论了这种热潮是否影响了第四纪植物学（对保存在沉积物中的植物遗骸的研究）。我表明，生态属性（包括性状）已经并将继续在第四纪植物数据的解释中发挥不可或缺的作用，在重建过去的环境和解释植物组合的长期变化方面。这种用途始于 120 多年前，并一直持续到现在。由于许多第四纪植物数据的分类学局限性，目前尚不清楚基于性状的“新”第四纪植物学是否会发展。