Paleoecological Research on Easter Island

Valentí Rull is a biologist with a PhD in paleoecology (1990). He is a Tenured Scientist of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) at the Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera, Barcelona. He uses paleocological evidence to study the type and characteristics of biotic responses to environmental shifts, the natural and anthropogenic drivers of ecological change and the role of tectonics and environmental change on the origin of biodiversity. He also works on the contribution of paleoecology to biodiversity conservation. Dr. Rull has conducted his research on several temperate (Pyrenees, Azores Islands), tropical (Andes, Orinoco delta, Maracaibo basin, Gran Sabana, Pantepui) and subtropical (Easter Island) regions.

1. The island: Present conditions and paleoecological archives2. Before paleoecology: The enigmas of Easter Island3. The paleoecological pioneers and the rising of the ecocidal paradigm4. The transitional phase: Paleoecological quietness5. The revival: An opportunity for climate change6. Latest developments: Towards a holistic perspective7. Synopsis: From human determinism to socioecological complexity8. Future research: A plea for true interdisciplinarity