Biogeography of the Australian monsoon tropics

Bowman, David M. J. S.; Brown, Gillian K.; Braby, Michael F.; Brown, Josephine R.; Cook, Lyn G.; Crisp, Michael D.; Ford, Fred; Haberle, Simon; Hughes, Jane; Isagi, Yuji; Joseph, Leo; McBride, John L.; Nelson, Gareth; Ladiges, Pauline Y.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02210.x

Cited by 304 publications

(356 citation statements)

References 100 publications

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“…Two-thirds (21) of biome shifts were into savanna, confirming that this biome is a sink relative to the other biomes and suggesting that the advent of monsoonal climate opened a major ecological opportunity that pre-adapted Myrtaceae were able to exploit effectively. However, we found no support for the hypothesis that this new environment (with its more frequent but less intense fires 6,18 ) exerted sufficient selection to alter the epicormic anatomy of the Myrtaceae overall (Pagel94 ML test, P = 0.137; Bayesian stochastic mapping test, P = 0.2), except in Xanthostemon and perhaps Melaleuca (Supplementary Fig. S1).…”

Section: Biome Transitionscontrasting

confidence: 43%

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Flammable biomes dominated by eucalypts originated at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary

et al. 2011

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Fire is a major modifier of communities, but the evolutionary origins of its prevalent role in shaping current biomes are uncertain. Australia is among the most fire-prone continents, with most of the landmass occupied by the fire-dependent sclerophyll and savanna biomes. In contrast to biomes with similar climates in other continents, Australia has a tree flora dominated by a single genus, Eucalyptus, and related myrtaceae. A unique mechanism in myrtaceae for enduring and recovering from fire damage likely resulted in this dominance. Here, we find a conserved phylogenetic relationship between post-fire resprouting (epicormic) anatomy and biome evolution, dating from 60 to 62 ma, in the earliest Palaeogene. Thus, fire-dependent communities likely existed 50 million years earlier than previously thought. We predict that epicormic resprouting could make eucalypt forests and woodlands an excellent long-term carbon bank for reducing atmospheric Co 2 compared with biomes with similar fire regimes in other continents.

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Section: Biome Transitionscontrasting

confidence: 43%

“…Limited palaeontological evidence suggests that a monsoonal climate might have originated in Australia by 30 Ma 18,27 . Some of the shifts into savanna inferred for Myrtaceae could have occurred before 30 Ma, in the Oligocene or Eocene ( Supplementary Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flammable biomes dominated by eucalypts originated at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary

et al. 2011

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“…central area of its north-west). The association with rainfall is likely to be an indirect effect with rainfall determining the soil moisture, vegetation and productivity at a site (Gaston 2000;Bowman et al 2010). Rainfall was significantly correlated with the extent of monsoon rainforest on islands.…”

Section: Patterns In Assemblage Compositionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…These authors attributed the similarity in species richness patterns to an underlying history of climate-induced vicariance (Moritz et al 2001). A common geographical vicariance event, such as rising sea-levels, is one explanation for congruence among multiple taxonomic groups (Pawar et al 2007;Bowman et al 2010). Aside from a common climatic and/ or biogeographical history, strong congruence in species richness patterns can also be explained by similar responses to the same local environmental parameters (Heino 2010).…”

Section: Patterns In Species Richnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeographic patterns on Kimberley islands, Western Australia

Gibson¹

2014

Rec West Aust Mus Sup

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-Australia's islands play a signifi cant role in the conservation of its biota. The near-pristine islands along the Kimberley coast of north-western Australia are important natural refuges that have been relatively isolated from many of the threatening processes affecting the adjacent mainland. Between 2007 and 2010, 24 of the largest of these islands were surveyed for non-volant mammals, reptiles, birds, frogs, bats, land snails and vascular plants. To facilitate the setting of conservation priorities, I examined congruence in the biogeographic patterns among these taxonomic groups and related those to island-wide attributes. A high level of congruence in both spatial patterns of species richness and community similarity across most of the taxonomic groups was found. Congruence in species richness was best explained by a strong relationship with island area; while congruence in community similarity was infl uenced by the dispersal ability of taxa. Average annual rainfall and the extent of rock scree (or ruggedness) on an island were also strong correlates of both spatial patterns in community similarity and richness of regional endemics. I also show that this pattern was not explained by richness differences of species between islands alone, but largely due to species replacement among islands. These patterns refl ect the greater diversity of regional endemic species and/or habitat specialists that are restricted to the relatively high rainfall and extensively rocky islands; whereas the drier islands typically support widespread generalists that have distributions that extend into the semi-arid and arid zones. In terms of conservation signifi cance, the largest islands in the most mesic section of the coast are important for their high species diversity, including regional endemics. However, the lower rainfall islands support unique assemblages, and some are also important for their threatened mammal species. The high level of island endemism of the camaenid land snails indicates that all the islands sampled are important in terms of representing their diversity. The results of the survey also support the hypothesis that these islands are microcosms of the adjacent Northern Kimberley mainland with 74% of mammal, 59% of reptile, 70% of frog, 69% of bird and 49% of plant species of the Northern Kimberley bioregion now known on the islands sampled. Future management of the islands requires strategies that minimise the risk of incursions by exotic species and appropriate fi re regimes to preserve habitat quality.

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“…Cystococcus has been used as an exemplar of biogeographic and ecological processes in Australia (Fuller 1899;Gullan and Cockburn 1986;Bowman et al 2010;Ladiges et al 2010), yet the genus has never been revised taxonomically. Here, we describe a new species of Cystococcus from Queensland, C. campanidorsalis, sp.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic review of the Australian ‘bush-coconut’ genus Cystococcus (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) uncovers a new species from Queensland

Semple

Gullan

Hodgson

et al. 2015

Invert. Systematics

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Abstract. Australia houses some unusual biota (insects included), much of which is undescribed. Cystococcus Fuller (Hemiptera : Sternorrhyncha : Coccoidea : Eriococcidae) currently comprises two species, both of which induce galls exclusively on bloodwoods (Myrtaceae: Corymbia Hill & Johnson). These insects display sexual dichronism, whereby females give birth first to sons and then to daughters. Wingless first-instar females cling to their winged adult brothers and are carried out of the maternal gall when the males fly to find mates -a behaviour called intersexual phoresy. Here, we use data from two gene regions, as well as morphology and host-use of the insects, to assess the status of a previously undescribed species. We describe this newly recognised species as Cystococcus campanidorsalis, sp. nov. Semple, Cook & Hodgson, redescribe the two existing species -C. echiniformis Fuller and C. pomiformis (Froggatt), designate a lectotype for C. echiniformis, and provide the first descriptions of adult males, and nymphal males and females for the genus. We have also reinterpreted a key morphological character of the adult females. This paper provides a foundation for further work on the genus, which is widespread across northern Australia and could prove to be useful for studies on biogeography and bloodwood ecosystems. urn:lsid:zoobank

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Biogeography of the Australian monsoon tropics

Cited by 304 publications

References 100 publications

Flammable biomes dominated by eucalypts originated at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary

Flammable biomes dominated by eucalypts originated at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary

Biogeographic patterns on Kimberley islands, Western Australia

Systematic review of the Australian ‘bush-coconut’ genus Cystococcus (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) uncovers a new species from Queensland

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