Quaternary environments: Going forward, looking backwards?

The call to adopt a longer-time perspective in order to better understand contemporary and near-future global environments is not new. Nevertheless, there is a growing recognition that evidence from the geologically recent past, in particular the late Quaternary, is essential if we are to understand the profound changes that have taken place in the human relationship with the living world. This progress report reviews how the understanding of environmental dynamics over extended time periods is now incorporated into science dealing with predictions of future climate change by the IPCC consortium, how possible analogues for a warmer future are still vigorously explored and how information on past environments may better inform an understanding of contemporary ecosystem processes and influence the future management of biodiversity in protected areas.