OCBIL theory: towards an integrated understanding of the evolution, ecology and conservation of biodiversity on old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes

Abstract

OCBIL theory aims to develop an integrated series of hypotheses explaining the evolution and ecology of, and best conservation practices for, biota on very old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes (OCBILs). Conventional theory for ecology and evolutionary and conservation biology has developed primarily from data on species and communities from young, often disturbed, fertile landscapes (YODFELs)

Environmental change: prospects for conservation and agriculture in a southwest Australia biodiversity hotspot

“…The main threats to the remaining native flora and fauna are plant pathogens such as Phytophthora cinnamomi, feral animals and introduced plants, habitat fragmentation, altered hydrology and salinity, and inappropriate fire regimes (see also Table 1). Approximately 27% of the region is in conservation reserves (Danks et al 2011), which makes the protection of potentially vulnerable taxa outside this reserve system difficult (Hopper 2009). Nine identified vegetation types (Beard 1980) have been identified as having 10% or less of their original (preEuropean) extent remaining, and 20 others have less than 30% remaining (Danks et al 2011).…”

“…This highlights the importance of the conservation of areas of native vegetation for the plant communities as well as the fauna habitat they represent. For southwestern Australia broadly, there are many Gondwanan relics and levels of endemism are high for most taxa, although this is variable across taxonomic groups, e.g., ~2% of 300 bird spp, 93% of 30 amphibians spp, 49% of 3950 spp of flowering plants (Hopper andGioia 2004, Davies and, with a high proportion of those endemics occurring in or restricted to the SCR, e.g., 22 of 30 frog species.…”

“…These community assemblages have a long history of adaptation to changing climatic conditions and an intricate interaction of contributing causes to adaptation that can be taxon specific (Hopper 2009). The flora and fauna of this region has a long history of surviving through multiple major climate shifts particularly in the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene epochs but with the evolution of diversity across that historical span (Rix et al 2014).…”

“…The regionally high biodiversity and levels of endemism (3950 plant spp, 49% endemic) coupled with extensive clearing means that the South Coast Region is a world-recognized hotspot of biodiversity (Myers et al 2000). The biodiversity and endemism are considered to be due to its Gondwanan affinities, weathered ancient landscape (unglaciated since the Permian), and a long period of isolation (Hopper 2009). The region supports a mixture of relict and modern species, and possesses a vast diversity of habitats that span from wet sclerophyll tall forest in the west to semiarid woodlands in the east, many of which have been converted to agricultural and urban uses since the arrival of Europeans in 1826.…”

“…The region supports a mixture of relict and modern species, and possesses a vast diversity of habitats that span from wet sclerophyll tall forest in the west to semiarid woodlands in the east, many of which have been converted to agricultural and urban uses since the arrival of Europeans in 1826. This region has a wealth of faunal and floral http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol20/iss3/art10/ diversity including ancient lineages with Gondwanan and Laurasian relationships through to currently evolving taxa showing high levels of intraspecific diversity (Hopper andGioia 2004, Rix et al 2014). These patterns of diversity coexist with a variety of intensive land-use practices from broad acre farming, mining, and intensive forestry to managed native forests, and persist in both modified landscapes and in small and large areas of the conservation estate.…”