Becoming New Zealanders: Immigration and the Formation of the Biota

Origin, Diversification, and Classification of the Australasian Genus Dracophyllum (Richeeae, Ericaceae)1

“…The landmass that was to form New Zealand retained connections to New Caledonia, possibly until the end of the Eocene, and faced an almost continuous Gondwanan coastline consisting of South America, Antarctica, and Australia. Until the Oligocene to Early Miocene, southeastern Australia and New Zealand were clothed in diverse rainforest vegetation, resembling that presently found in northeastern Australia, New Guinea, and New Caledonia (McLoughlin, 2001;Hill, 2004;Gibbs, 2006;McGlone, 2006).…”

“…f.) are found in similar alpine habitats, and their distinct cushion morphology is an adaptation (by morphological reduction) to the harsh environments that they inhabit. Pollen evidence may also help resolve the correct placement of D. minimum, as McGlone (1972) demonstrated that pollen morphology of the New Zealand members of Dracophyllum subg. Oreothamnus differs from that of Dracophyllum subg.…”

“…We rooted our phylogeny on the long branch leading to Enkianthus and set the minimum age of this branch at 90 Ma, which reflects the first appearance of allied fossils during the Late Cretaceous (Nixon & Crepet, 1993). The environmental conditions that existed during the early evolution of the Ericaceae were dramatically different from those of the present day (Raven & Axelrod, 1972;McLoughlin, 2001;Hill, 2004;Hopper & Gioia, 2004;Gibbs, 2006;McGlone, 2006;Ladiges & Cantrill, 2007). The southern continents were united, forming the supercontinent Gondwana, but began to drift apart during the Late Cretaceous.…”

“…The southern continents were united, forming the supercontinent Gondwana, but began to drift apart during the Late Cretaceous. Because of their position in high latitudes, there were three months of complete darkness in winter followed by nearly continuous daylight during the brief summer (Hill, 2004;McGlone, 2006). The forest vegetation was dominated by diverse angiosperms, podocarps, araucarias, and ferns.…”

Rodent control and island conservation.

“…For many New Zealand islands the role of past fire management by Maori is now generally acknowledged as important (Atkinson 2004), as is the crucial nutrient role that seabirds played in island ecosystems (Towns and Atkinson, 2004). Accordingly, restoration goals for islands now vary greatly from "direct" restoration, where eradication of all non-native species is desired, to other situations where an attempt is made to facilitate ongoing natural processes, such as long-distance dispersal (McGlone, 2006). These latter methods are generally referred to 'passive' restoration and recognise that species pools on islands ecosystems are dynamic over time.…”