ORCID Profile
0000-0002-7280-6324
Current Organisation
Government of Western Australia
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Genetics | Environmental Science and Management | Population, Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics | Population And Ecological Genetics | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Population Ecology | Environmental Rehabilitation (excl. Bioremediation) | Conservation And Biodiversity | Environmental Management And Rehabilitation | Ecological Impacts of Climate Change | Ecology | Fire Management | Gene Expression (incl. Microarray and other genome-wide approaches) | Conservation and Biodiversity | Life Histories (Incl. Population Ecology) | Ecosystem Function | Plant Biology not elsewhere classified | Ecological Applications not elsewhere classified | Evolutionary Biology | Genomics | Natural Resource Management | Global Change Biology | Biologically Active Molecules | Plant Improvement (Selection, Breeding And Genetic Engineering) | Plant Physiology | Plant Systematics, Taxonomy And Phylogeny | Landscape Ecology
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Rehabilitation/reafforestation | Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change | Mining Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Forest and Woodlands Environments | Remnant vegetation and protected conservation areas | Living resources (flora and fauna) | Remnant vegetation and protected conservation areas | Rehabilitation of Degraded Mining Environments | Rehabilitation of Degraded Coastal and Estuarine Environments | Coastal and Estuarine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Education and Training Systems not elsewhere classified | Forestry | Biological sciences | Remnant vegetation and protected conservation areas | Climate change | Remnant Vegetation and Protected Conservation Areas in Forest and Woodlands Environments | Sparseland, Permanent Grassland and Arid Zone Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity of environments not elsewhere classified | Environmentally Sustainable Mineral Resource Activities not elsewhere classified | Horticultural Crops not elsewhere classified | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales | Forest and Woodlands Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Remnant vegetation and protected conservation areas | Ornamentals, Australian natives and nursery plants | Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Australia (excl. Social Impacts) | Rehabilitation of degraded mining lands | Integrated (ecosystem) assessment and management | Rehabilitation of Degraded Forest and Woodlands Environments |
Related Links
Publications
The critical role of honeyeaters in the pollination of the catspaw Anigozanthos humilis (Haemodoraceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/BT18209
Abstract: The pollination biology of Anigozanthos humilis (Haemodoraceae) was studied within a Banksia woodland reserve using a combination of field techniques and genetic analysis. Motion-triggered cameras were deployed on 25 flowering plants to identify visitors to flowers, quantify visitation rates and assess visitor behaviour. Entire A. humilis plants were caged to exclude potential floral visitors with six treatments: (i) bird and honey possum exclusion, allowing access by insects (ii) bird and insect exclusion, allowing access by honey possums (iii) total animal exclusion (iv) open, allowing access by birds, insects and honey possums (v) hand-pollination with cross-pollen and (vi) hand-pollination with self-pollen. Open pollinated seed were genotyped to assess mating system parameters including outcrossing rate. From 23424 h of surveillance with camera traps, 109 visits were recorded, 106 (97%) of which were western spinebills (Acanthorhynchus superciliosus), with three visits by brown honeyeaters (Lichmera indistincta). We recorded an average of 8 (±4) visits per plant, equivalent to one visit every eleven days over the 2016 flowering season (mean = 63 days). Mean seed set per fruit was negligible (0.2–0.3 seed per fruit) for all pollination treatments except open- and hand-pollination with cross pollen. Mean seed set per fruit for hand cross-pollinated flowers (37.1 seed per fruit) was 37 times that of open pollinated flowers (1.0 seed per fruit). Outcrossing rate estimates were not significantly different to one. Our results indicate that at least for the study population and season, A. humilis was largely dependent on western spinebills for delivery of outcross pollen and resulting seed set, but visitation rates were low and pollen limitation was severe. Given the known sensitivity of western spinebills to habitat fragmentation, our results suggest flow on effects that may negatively impact on reproduction, and means that A. humilis may be particularly vulnerable to environmental changes that impact on bird pollinators.
Limited impact of fragmentation and disturbance on the mating system of tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala, Myrtaceae): implications for seed-source quality in ecological restoration
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/BT13032
Abstract: Variation in patterns of mating within and among plant populations can be impacted by habitat disturbance and have significant implications for offspring fitness. An understanding of this variation will inform predictions of seed genetic quality, benefiting ecological restoration through better seed-sourcing guidelines. We assessed mating system variation in six populations of tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala DC.), an iconic tree of significance to ecological restoration in Western Australia. A mixed mating system was observed with predominant outcrossing (tm = 0.76 ± 0.05) and low biparental inbreeding (tm–ts = 0.03 ± 0.02). We detected some evidence of increased inbreeding in a naturally fragmented population (tm–ts = 0.10 ± 0.04) and in a disturbed urban remnant (tm = 0.52 ± 0.12), including a family with complete selfing. However, most variation in outcrossing rate occurred among in iduals within populations (82%), rather than among populations (2.6%) or among groups of populations defined by fragmentation or disturbance (15.4%). Genetic ersity was not consistently lower in offspring from fragmented, smaller and/or disturbed populations. These data reinforce the importance of sourcing seeds from multiple trees for ecological restoration, and emphasise that tuart’s mating system and the genetic ersity of offspring is robust to some habitat disturbance and/or fragmentation.
Depression, anxiety and risk of hypertension in mid-aged women
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 10-2016
Phylogeographic analyses of Acacia karina (Fabaceae) support long term persistence of populations both on and off banded iron formations
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/BT18045
Abstract: Understanding the response of species to past climatic changes and whether particular areas acted as refugia is critical both to our understanding of the distribution of genetic variation, and for the conservation and/or restoration of species. We used phylogeographical analyses of Acacia karina, a Banded Iron Formation (BIF) associated species, to better understand historical processes in the semiarid midwest region of Western Australia. We specifically examined whether BIF acted as refugia for the species during the colder, dryer periods of the Quaternary. The genetic structure over the entire range of A. karina was assessed using seven nuclear microsatellites (19 populations n=371) and 3196bp of chloroplast sequence (19 populations n=190). We found high levels of nuclear and chloroplast genetic ersity and high levels of chloroplast haplotype differentiation. Genetic ersity was higher than expected for such a geographically restricted species, and similarly high levels of nuclear and chloroplast ersity were observed in BIF and non-BIF populations. The chloroplast and nuclear data suggest that BIFs have not acted as climate refugia for A. karina. Instead, long-term persistence of both BIF and non-BIF populations is supported.
The Central Role of Dispersal in the Maintenance and Persistence of Seagrass Populations
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-2019
Rapid genetic delineation of local provenance seed‐collection zones for effective rehabilitation of an urban bushland remnant
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-03-2006
Wide outcrossing provides functional connectivity for new and old Banksia populations within a fragmented landscape
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-03-2019
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-019-04387-Z
Abstract: Habitat fragmentation affects landscape connectivity, the extent of which is influenced by the movement capacity of the vectors of seed and pollen dispersal for plants. Negative impacts of reduced connectivity can include reduced fecundity, increased inbreeding, genetic erosion and decreased long-term viability. These are issues for not only old (remnant) populations, but also new (restored) populations. We assessed reproductive and connective functionality within and among remnant and restored populations of a common tree, Banksia menziesii R.Br. (Proteaceae), in a fragmented urban landscape, utilising a genetic and graph theoretical approach. Adult trees and seed cohorts from five remnants and two restored populations were genotyped using microsatellite markers. Genetic variation and pollen dispersal were assessed using direct (paternity assignment) and indirect (pollination graphs and mating system characterisation) methods. Restored populations had greater allelic ersity (Ar = 8.08 8.34) than remnant populations (Ar range = 6.49-7.41). Genetic differentiation was greater between restored and adjacent remnants (F
Characterisation of polymorphic microsatellite markers in the widespread Australian seagrass, Posidonia australis Hook. f. (Posidoniaceae), with cross-amplification in the sympatric P. sinuosa
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-08-2009
Development of microsatellites from the rare ironstone endemic, Tetratheca paynterae ssp. paynterae and cross‐species amplification
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1755-0998.2008.02236.X
Abstract: Nineteen microsatellite markers were developed from Tetratheca paynterae ssp. paynterae, a rare and endangered, leafless, perennial shrub. Twelve loci were polymorphic in T. paynterae ssp. paynterae with two to 14 alleles per locus and mean expected heterozygosity of 0.62. Primer pairs were tested on four other Tetratheca species from ironstone ranges in southern Western Australia. Ten loci were polymorphic in T. paynterae ssp. cremnobata and T. aphylla ssp. aphylla, three in T. harperi and four in T. erubescens. The level of polymorphism was adequate for studies of genetic structure and mating systems in three of the five taxa.
Effectiveness of native nectar-feeding birds and the introduced Apis mellifera as pollinators of the kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos manglesii (Haemodoraceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/BT19097
Abstract: Plants pollinated by vertebrates are often visited by native and exotic insects foraging for pollen and nectar. We compared flower visitation rates, foraging behaviour, and the contribution to reproduction of nectar-feeding birds and the introduced honeybee Apis mellifera in four populations of the bird-pollinated Anigozanthos manglesii (Haemodoraceae). The behaviour of floral visitors was quantified with direct observations and motion-triggered and hand-held cameras. Pollinator access to flowers was manipulated by enclosure in netting to either exclude all visitors or to exclude vertebrate visitors only. Apis mellifera was the only insect observed visiting flowers, and the most frequent flower visitor, but primarily acted as a pollen thief. Although birds visited A. manglesii plants only once per week on average, they were 3.5 times more likely to contact the anther or stigma as foraging honeybees. Exclusion of birds resulted in 67% fewer fruits and 81% fewer seeds than flowers left open and unmanipulated. Unnetted flowers that were open to bird and insect pollinators showed pollen-limitation and a large variation in reproductive output within and between sites. Although honeybees have been shown to pollinate other Australian plants, compared to birds, they are highly inefficient pollinators of A. manglesii.
Near-neighbour optimal outcrossing in the bird-pollinated Anigozanthos manglesii
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-06-2019
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCZ091
Abstract: In plants, the spatial and genetic distance between mates can influence reproductive success and offspring fitness. Negative fitness consequences associated with the extremes of inbreeding and outbreeding suggest that there will be an intermediate optimal outcrossing distance (OOD), the scale and drivers of which remain poorly understood. In the bird-pollinated Anigozanthos manglesii (Haemodoraceae) we tested (1) for the presence of within-population OOD, (2) over what scale it occurs, and (3) for OOD under biologically realistic scenarios of multi-donor deposition associated with pollination by nectar-feeding birds. We measured the impact of mate distance (spatial and genetic) on seed set, fruit size, seed mass, seed viability and germination success following hand pollination from (1) single donors across 0 m (self), m, 1–3 m, 7–15 m and 50 m, and (2) a mix of eight donors. Microsatellite loci were used to quantify spatial genetic structure and test for the presence of an OOD by paternity assignment after multi-donor deposition. Inter-mate distance had a significant impact on single-donor reproductive success, with selfed and nearest-neighbour ( m) pollination resulting in only ~50 seeds per fruit, lower overall germination success and slower germination. Seed set was greatest for inter-mate distance of 1–3 m (148 seeds per fruit), thereafter plateauing at ~100 seeds per fruit. Lower seed set following nearest-neighbour mating was associated with significant spatial genetic autocorrelation at this scale. Paternal success following pollination with multiple sires showed a significantly negative association with increasing distance between mates. Collectively, single- and multi-donor pollinations indicated evidence for a near-neighbour OOD within A. manglesii. A survey of the literature suggests that within-population OOD may be more characteristic of plants pollinated by birds than those pollinated by insects.
Patterns of mating in Persoonia mollis (Proteaceae) revealed by an analysis of paternity using AFLP: implications for conservation
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2000
DOI: 10.1071/BT98082
Abstract: A detailed characterisation of mating in natural populations is desirable for the better conservation of rare or threatened taxa. The PCR-based DNA-fingerprinting technique lified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) is a powerful new genetic marker for mating system analysis because it enables the unambiguous assignment of paternity to progeny. Mating patterns following natural pollination were characterised by paternity assignment using AFLP in a natural population of Persoonia mollis subsp. nectens (Proteaceae). This study serves as a comparison for future studies of the mating system of the threatened close relative P. mollis subsp. maxima. Twelve seeds from each of 21 plants (252 seeds in total) were analysed for paternity. Of these, 199 were assigned paternity unambiguously to one of the known potential sires. The remaining 53 seeds were sired by plants outside the known population. Three seeds were presumably selfed as they possessed only maternal alleles, giving a population outcrossing rate of 98.8%. Realised pollen flow distances showed a leptokurtic distribution, with a mean of 24.7 m (s.e. = 2.0 range = 0–137 m). Mean realised pollen dispersal distance to and from each plant varied markedly from 0 to 57.4 m, and was largely influenced by the immediate density of plants. The seeds of all plants had multiple sires, with an average of 5.3 sires for 10 seeds (s.e. = 0.3 range = 2–8). In idual paternal success varied from one to 24 seeds sired (mean = 9.1 s.e. = 1.2). In idual maternal success varied from a percentage fruit set of 5.2 to 37.9 (mean = 18.3 s.e. = 2.1). Male and female reproductive success, measured as the number of seeds sired and percentage fruit set, respectively, was positively correlated. Mean genetic dissimilarity among all seeds (29.1% of 151 loci polymorphic s.e. = 0.05 n = 30 876) was not significantly different from the mean genetic dissimilarity among all adults (29.5% s.e. = 0.5 n = 300), and indicates an overall absence of inbreeding. The active management and conservation implications of these more sensitive data include the avoidance of inbreeding in established and new populations and in ex situ collections, as well as the sensitive detection of changes in mating in disturbed populations which may indicate future genetic decline.
Next generation restoration metrics: Using soil eDNA bacterial community data to measure trajectories towards rehabilitation targets
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2022.114748
Abstract: In post-mining rehabilitation, successful mine closure planning requires specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) completion criteria, such as returning ecological communities to match a target level of similarity to reference sites. Soil microbiota are fundamentally linked to the restoration of degraded ecosystems, helping to underpin ecological functions and plant communities. High-throughput sequencing of soil eDNA to characterise these communities offers promise to help monitor and predict ecological progress towards reference states. Here we demonstrate a novel methodology for monitoring and evaluating ecological restoration using three long-term (>25 year) case study post-mining rehabilitation soil eDNA-based bacterial community datasets. Specifically, we developed rehabilitation trajectory assessments based on similarity to reference data from restoration chronosequence datasets. Recognising that numerous alternative options for microbiota data processing have potential to influence these assessments, we comprehensively examined the influence of standard versus compositional data analyses, different ecological distance measures, sequence grouping approaches, eliminating rare taxa, and the potential for excessive spatial autocorrelation to impact on results. Our approach reduces the complexity of information that often overwhelms ecologically-relevant patterns in microbiota studies, and enables prediction of recovery time, with explicit inclusion of uncertainty in assessments. We offer a step change in the development of quantitative microbiota-based SMART metrics for measuring rehabilitation success. Our approach may also have wider applications where restorative processes facilitate the shift of microbiota towards reference states.
Socioeconomic status and self-reported, screen-detected and total diabetes prevalence in Chinese men and women in 2011-2012
Publisher: International Global Health Society
Date: 29-07-2018
Demographic and genetic connectivity: the role and consequences of reproduction, dispersal and recruitment in seagrasses
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-03-2017
DOI: 10.1111/BRV.12261
Abstract: Accurate estimation of connectivity among populations is fundamental for determining the drivers of population resilience, genetic ersity, adaptation and speciation. However the separation and quantification of contemporary versus historical connectivity remains a major challenge. This review focuses on marine angiosperms, seagrasses, that are fundamental to the health and productivity of temperate and tropical coastal marine environments globally. Our objective is to understand better the role of sexual reproduction and recruitment in influencing demographic and genetic connectivity among seagrass populations through an integrated multidisciplinary assessment of our present ecological, genetic, and demographic understanding, with hydrodynamic modelling of transport. We investigate (i) the demographic consequences of sexual reproduction, dispersal and recruitment in seagrasses, (ii) contemporary transport of seagrass pollen, fruits and seed, and vegetative fragments with a focus on hydrodynamic and particle transport models, and (iii) contemporary genetic connectivity among seagrass meadows as inferred through the application of genetic markers. New approaches are reviewed, followed by a summary outlining future directions for research: integrating seascape genetic approaches incorporating hydrodynamic modelling for dispersal of pollen, seeds and vegetative fragments integrating studies across broader geographic ranges and incorporating non-equilibrium modelling. These approaches will lead to a more integrated understanding of the role of contemporary dispersal and recruitment in the persistence and evolution of seagrasses.
Next generation restoration genetics: applications and opportunities
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.TPLANTS.2014.03.011
Abstract: Restoration ecology is a young scientific discipline underpinning improvements in the rapid global expansion of ecological restoration. The application of molecular tools over the past 20 years has made an important contribution to understanding genetic factors influencing ecological restoration success. Here we illustrate how recent advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) methods are revolutionising the practical contribution of genetics to restoration. Novel applications include a dramatically enhanced capacity to measure adaptive variation for optimal seed sourcing, high-throughput assessment and monitoring of natural and restored biological communities aboveground and belowground, and gene expression analysis as a measure of genetic resilience of restored populations. Challenges remain in data generation, handling and analysis, and how best to apply NGS for practical outcomes in restoration.
Seeds in motion
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.14939
Abstract: Movement is fundamental to the ecology and evolutionary dynamics within species. Understanding movement through seed dispersal in the marine environment can be difficult due to the high spatial and temporal variability of ocean currents. We employed a mutually enriching approach of population genetic assignment procedures and dispersal predictions from a hydrodynamic model to overcome this difficulty and quantify the movement of dispersing floating fruit of the temperate seagrass Posidonia australis Hook.f. across coastal waters in south-western Australia. Dispersing fruit cohorts were collected from the water surface over two consecutive years, and seeds were genotyped using microsatellite DNA markers. Likelihood-based genetic assignment tests were used to infer the meadow of origin for seed cohorts and in iduals. A three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was coupled with a particle transport model to simulate the movement of fruit at the water surface. Floating fruit cohorts were mainly assigned genetically to the nearest meadow, but significant genetic differentiation between cohort and most likely meadow of origin suggested a mixed origin. This was confirmed by genetic assignment of in idual seeds from the same cohort to multiple meadows. The hydrodynamic model predicted 60% of fruit dispersed within 20 km, but that fruit was physically capable of dispersing beyond the study region. Concordance between these two independent measures of dispersal provides insight into the role of physical transport for long distance dispersal of fruit and the consequences for spatial genetic structuring of seagrass meadows.
Socioeconomic status and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan: A systematic review
Publisher: International Global Health Society
Date: 06-2017
Low Rate of Between-Population Seed Dispersal Restricts Genetic Connectivity and Metapopulation Dynamics in a Clonal Shrub
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-11-2012
The species of Alexgeorgea, a Western Australian genus of the restionaceae
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1990
DOI: 10.1071/SB9900751
Abstract: The three species of Alexgeorgea Carlquist are revised, including A. ganopoda L. Johnson & B. Briggs, a newly described rare species of the Mt Frankland–Bow River region of the south-west of Western Australia.
A revision of the complex species Persoonia mollis (Proteaceae)
Publisher: Royal Botanical Gardens and Domain Trust
Date: 03-1991
Signatures of diversifying selection at EST ‐SSR loci and association with climate in natural E ucalyptus populations
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2013
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.12463
Abstract: Understanding the environmental parameters that drive adaptation among populations is important in predicting how species may respond to global climatic changes and how gene pools might be managed to conserve adaptive genetic ersity. Here, we used Bayesian FST outlier tests and allele-climate association analyses to reveal two Eucalyptus EST-SSR loci as strong candidates for ersifying selection in natural populations of a southwestern Australian forest tree, Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Myrtaceae). The Eucalyptus homolog of a CONSTANS-like gene was an FST outlier, and allelic variation showed significant latitudinal clinal associations with annual and winter solar radiation, potential evaporation, summer precipitation and aridity. A second FST outlier locus, homologous to quinone oxidoreductase, was significantly associated with measures of temperature range, high summer temperature and summer solar radiation, with important implications for predicting the effect of temperature on natural populations in the context of climate change. We complemented these data with investigations into neutral population genetic structure and ersity throughout the species range. This study provides an investigation into selection signatures at gene-homologous EST-SSRs in natural Eucalyptus populations, and contributes to our understanding of the relationship between climate and adaptive genetic variation, informing the conservation of both putatively neutral and adaptive components of genetic ersity.
Covariation between intraspecific genetic diversity and species diversity within a plant functional group
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-08-2008
Preferential outcrossing in the complex species Persoonia mollis R. Br. (Proteaceae)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-1994
DOI: 10.1007/BF00323158
Microsatellite markers from the Ion Torrent: A multi-species contrast to 454 shotgun sequencing
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-11-2014
Abstract: The development and screening of microsatellite markers have been accelerated by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and in particular GS-FLX pyro-sequencing (454). More recent platforms such as the PGM semiconductor sequencer (Ion Torrent) offer potential benefits such as dramatic reductions in cost, but to date have not been well utilized. Here, we critically compare the advantages and disadvantages of microsatellite development using PGM semiconductor sequencing and GS-FLX pyro-sequencing for two gymnosperm (a conifer and a cycad) and one angiosperm species. We show that these NGS platforms differ in the quantity of returned sequence data, unique microsatellite data and primer design opportunities, mostly consistent with the differences in read length. The strength of the PGM lies in the large amount of data generated at a comparatively lower cost and time. The strength of GS-FLX lies in the return of longer average length sequences and therefore greater flexibility in producing markers with variable product length, due to longer flanking regions, which is ideal for capillary multiplexing. These differences need to be considered when choosing a NGS method for microsatellite discovery. However, the ongoing improvement in read lengths of the NGS platforms will reduce the disadvantage of the current short read lengths, particularly for the PGM platform, allowing greater flexibility in primer design coupled with the power of a larger number of sequences.
Polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for Banksia attenuata (Proteaceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-06-2007
Variation in Leptospermum trinervium (Myrtaceae): a problem species and the species problem
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1994
DOI: 10.1071/SB9940251
Abstract: Leptospermum trinervium is a variable species that has proved to be taxonomically puzzling because of interpopulation heterogeneity and sympatry of extreme forms. Variation within the species was initially investigated by phenetic analysis of adult morphology from herbarium specimens. Clustering analysis first suggested the existence of two major phenetic groups. Group definition was refined using discriminant function analysis by defining the most phenetically distinct groups. Ordination procedures (canonical variate analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling) confirmed the absolute distinctness of these two phenetic groups. Seven locations were then studied in detail. Three of these locations contained sympatric populations of the two phenetic forms. Phenetic analysis of adult morphology using discriminant function analysis and univariate analyses supported the recognition of the two phenetic groups but also indicated a high degree of distinctness among all populations, and particularly between sympatric populations where no intermediates were found. Diagnostic differences were retained even when seeds from these populations were cultivated under standardised conditions, indicating a genetic basis to the morphological heterogeneity. Preliminary data on genetic structure from allozymes indicated that the sympatric populations were less similar to each other than they were to other phenetically similar populations elsewhere, suggesting a barrier to gene flow between these sympatric populations. These results suggest that the two phenetic groups should be recognised as distinct, but variable, species.
Contrasting impacts of pollen and seed dispersal on spatial genetic structure in the bird-pollinated Banksia hookeriana
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-11-2008
DOI: 10.1038/HDY.2008.118
Abstract: In plants, pollen- and seed-dispersal distributions are characteristically leptokurtic, with significant consequences for spatial genetic structure and nearest-neighbour mating. However, most studies to date have been on wind- or insect-pollinated species. Here, we assigned paternity to quantify effective pollen dispersal over 9 years of mating, contrasted this to seed dispersal and examined their effects on fine-scale spatial genetic structure, within the bird-pollinated shrub Banksia hookeriana (Proteaceae). We used 163 polymorphic lified fragment length polymorphism markers to assess genetic structure and pollen dispersal in a spatially discrete population of 112 plants covering 0.56 ha. Spatial autocorrelation analysis detected spatial genetic structure in the smallest distance class of 0-5 m (r=0.025), with no significant structure beyond 8 m. Experimentally quantified seed-dispersal distances for 337 seedlings showed a leptokurtic distribution around a median of 5 m, reaching a distance of 36 m. In marked contrast, patterns of pollen dispersal for 274 seeds departed strikingly from typical near-neighbour pollination, with a distribution largely corresponding to the spatial distribution of plants. We found very high multiple paternity, very low correlated paternity and an equal probability of siring for the 50 closest potential mates. Extensive pollen carryover was demonstrated by multiple siring in 83 of 86 (96.5%) two-seeded fruits. Highly mobile nectar-feeding birds facilitate this promiscuity through observed movements that were effectively random. As the incidence of bird-pollination is markedly greater in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region than elsewhere, our results have broad and novel significance for the evolution and conservation for many species in Gondwanan lineages.
Conservation genetics of the rare and endangered Leucopogon obtectus (Ericaceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2001
DOI: 10.1046/J.0962-1083.2001.01378.X
Abstract: Leucopogon obtectus Benth. is a declared rare species found in the kwongan vegetation in Western Australia. Plants on a mineral sand mine and the rehabilitation area are subject to disturbance. Genetic ersity was examined within and among all known populations using random lified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and lified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) for conservation. Both molecular markers revealed a high percentage (> 89%) of polymorphic markers and a high mean genetic distance among in iduals (D = 0.3). Analysis of molecular variance showed that 86.7% (RAPD) and 89.7% (AFLP) of variability was partitioned among in iduals within populations. Exact tests showed no significant population differentiation. The analyses indicated that L. obtectus exhibits high levels of genetic ersity despite small population sizes. The high levels of variability among in iduals and the lack of clear population differentiation suggest that this species comprises a single, genetically erse group. Conservation and management of L. obtectus should concentrate on maintaining the high levels of genetic variability through mixing genotypes and promoting outcrossing.
Genetic Delineation of Local Provenance in Persoonia longifolia: Implications for Seed Sourcing for Ecological Restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-04-2012
From Dampier to DNA: The 300-year-old mystery of the identity and proposed allopolyploid origin of Conostylis stylidioides (Haemodoraceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2001
DOI: 10.1071/BT00072
Abstract: The tetraploid Conostylis stylidioides (n= 16) has been proposed to be a stabilised hybrid between the diploid (n = 8) species C. prolifera and C. candicans because of morphological and geographical intermediacy, as well as a polyploid chromosome number. To test this hybrid-origin hypothesis, we used the DNA-fingerprinting technique lified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and measured genetic variation within these taxa, as well as the putative outgroups C. robusta and C. aculeata. One AFLP primer pair generated 192 dominant markers for 36 s les from these species, of which 189 were polymorphic. Polymorphism within populations was uniformly high for all species, with 66–86% of all fragments polymorphic and estimates of heterozygosity ranging from 0.36 to 0.41. Ordination, UPGMA and maximum parsimony analyses of these genetic data consistently clustered species, supporting the current species’ level taxonomy. The intermediate placement of C. stylidioides between C. proliferaand C. candicans on the maximum parsimony tree supports the hybrid-origin hypothesis, although other interpretations are possible. The phenetic results for AFLP data, in which C. stylidioides is not strictly intermediate between C. prolifera and C. candicans, are either concordant with recent research suggesting that rapid intra- and inter-genomic rearrangements occur with the origin of polyploid taxa, or indicate an ancient hybridisation event. While our results do not reject the hybrid origin hypothesis, the extremely high levels of genetic variation detected with AFLP within these populations, in combination with extensive genomic reorganisation with the origin of C. stylidioides and the possibility of independent origins for different populations, make it difficult to confidently exclude other scenarios.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for Banksia candolleana (Proteaceae)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-05-2010
A Genetic assessment of ecological restoration success in banksia attenuata
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-06-2012
Inbreeding and outbreeding depression in S tylidium hispidum: implications for mixing seed sources for ecological restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-08-2012
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.302
The critical role of ants in the extensive dispersal of Acacia seeds revealed by genetic parentage assignment
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-08-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-015-3400-9
Abstract: Ants are prominent seed dispersal agents in many ecosystems, and dispersal distances are small in comparison with vertebrate dispersal agents. However, the distance and distribution of ant-mediated dispersal in arid/semi-arid environments remains poorly explored. We used microsatellite markers and parentage assignment to quantify the distance and distribution of dispersed seeds of Acacia karina, retrieved from the middens of Iridomyrmex agilis and Melophorus turneri perthensis. From parentage assignment, we could not distinguish the maternal from each parent pair assigned to each seed, so we applied two approaches to estimate dispersal distances, one conservative (CONS), where the parent closest to the ant midden was considered to be maternal, and the second where both parents were deemed equally likely (EL) to be maternal, and used both distances. Parentage was assigned to 124 seeds from eight middens. Maximum seed dispersal distances detected were 417 m (CONS) and 423 m (EL), more than double the estimated global maximum. Mean seed dispersal distances of 40 m (±5.8 SE) (CONS) and 79 m (±6.4 SE) (EL) exceeded the published global average of 2.24 m (±7.19 SD) by at least one order of magnitude. For both approaches and both ant species, seed dispersal was predominantly (44-84% of all seeds) within 50 m from the maternal source, with fewer dispersal events at longer distances. Ants in this semi-arid environment have demonstrated a greater capacity to disperse seeds than estimated elsewhere, which highlights their important role in this system, and suggests significant novel ecological and evolutionary consequences for myrmecochorous species in arid/semi-arid Australia.
Isolation and characterization of 13 microsatellites for the rare endemic shrub Tetratheca erubescens (Elaeocarpaceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2016
DOI: 10.3732/APPS.1500102
Conservation genetics and implications for restoration of Hemigenia exilis (Lamiaceae), a serpentine endemic from Western Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2002
Novel Consequences of Bird Pollination for Plant Mating
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.TPLANTS.2017.03.005
Abstract: Pollinator behaviour has profound effects on plant mating. Pollinators are predicted to minimise energetic costs during foraging bouts by moving between nearby flowers. However, a review of plant mating system studies reveals a mismatch between behavioural predictions and pollen-mediated gene dispersal in bird-pollinated plants. Paternal ersity of these plants is twice that of plants pollinated solely by insects. Comparison with the behaviour of other pollinator groups suggests that birds promote pollen dispersal through a combination of high mobility, limited grooming, and intra- and interspecies aggression. Future opportunities to test these predictions include seed paternity assignment following pollinator exclusion experiments, single pollen grain genotyping, new tracking technologies for small pollinators, and motion-triggered cameras and ethological experimentation for quantifying pollinator behaviour.
High genetic diversity in a clonal relict Alexgeorgea nitens (Restionaceae): implications for ecological restoration
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/BT09193
Abstract: The importance of genetic issues associated with the sourcing of propagules is increasingly recognised for successful ecological restoration. A consideration of life history traits has contributed to ‘best-guess’ scenarios on the appropriate location and desirable properties of local provenance source populations, but these can lack precision. For clonal species, population genetic structure and variation will depend on the balance between the extent and growth rate of asexual clones, sexual reproduction, pollen dispersal, and subsequent seed dispersal and recruitment. We assessed patterns of population genetic structure and variation for Alexgeorgea nitens (Nees) L. Johnston & B. Briggs (Restionaceae), a dioecious, clonal, perennial species, with novel life history traits. Our results show high levels of genetic ersity within populations, and surprisingly low levels of population differentiation (ΦST = 0.17). We suggest that the high genetic ersity observed within these populations reflects extensive pollen dispersal and successful seeding (sexual reproduction) and recruitment events, even though direct observations of seedling recruitment are rare. In this case, a ‘best-guess’ propagule-sourcing scenario based on life-history traits that appear to limit dispersal capability does not predict the extent of high local genetic ersity and weak population genetic structure in A. nitens.
Genetic analysis of parentage within experimental populations of a male dimorphic beetle, Onthophagus taurus, using amplified fragment length polymorphism
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-09-2004
Genetic and palaeo-climatic evidence for widespread persistence of the coastal tree species Eucalyptus gomphocephala (Myrtaceae) during the Last Glacial Maximum
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-11-2013
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCT253
Interspecific hybridisation in tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala, Myrtaceae): A conservation management issue?
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/BT13172
Abstract: The anthropogenic movement of Eucalyptus species beyond their natural distributions is increasing the opportunity for interspecific hybridisation. The conservation implications arising from hybridisation between indigenous and introduced eucalypt species in modified urban landscapes is an increasingly important management issue that requires an assessment of risk. It has been claimed that much of the tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala DC., Myrtaceae) seed in Kings Park, a large urban bushland remnant in Perth, Western Australia, is of hybrid origin with introduced eastern Australian eucalypts, and especially with E. cladocalyx. Using molecular markers, we tested this claim and determined whether hybridisation in tuart is a conservation management issue in Kings Park, as well as the adjacent Bold Park. Eight microsatellite markers were used to genotype 220 open-pollinated tuart seedlings from 19 families. Allele frequency estimates for tuart were generated by genotyping 42 mature tuart trees. Forty-four trees of four alternative species thought to be capable of hybridising with tuart in these parks, including two non-indigenous species, E. cladocalyx and E. camaldulensis, and two indigenous species, E. decipiens and E. rudis, were also genotyped. Pairwise FST between tuart and each alternative species for these markers ranged from 0.105 to 0.204. A hybrid-index analysis of seedling genotypes showed no significant evidence for hybridisation, and no alternative species private alleles (n = 35) were found in any tuart offspring genotypes. A likelihood analysis showed that the maximum likelihood of observing no private alleles of the alternative species in the progeny occurred at a hybridisation frequency of zero for all four alternative species. We conclude that hybridisation between tuart and non-indigenous species is not currently a conservation management issue in Kings Park and Bold Park. Rather, the invasion of pure non-indigenous species, and in particular E. cladocalyx, as weeds into bushland is of greater management concern.
Extensive polyploid clonality was a successful strategy for seagrass to expand into a newly submerged environment
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 06-2022
Abstract: Polyploidy has the potential to allow organisms to outcompete their diploid progenitor(s) and occupy new environments. Shark Bay, Western Australia, is a World Heritage Area dominated by temperate seagrass meadows including Poseidon's ribbon weed, Posidonia australis . This seagrass is at the northern extent of its natural geographic range and experiences extremes in temperature and salinity. Our genomic and cytogenetic assessments of 10 meadows identified geographically restricted, diploid clones (2 n = 20) in a single location, and a single widespread, high-heterozygosity, polyploid clone (2 n = 40) in all other locations. The polyploid clone spanned at least 180 km, making it the largest known ex le of a clone in any environment on earth. Whole-genome duplication through polyploidy, combined with clonality, may have provided the mechanism for P. australis to expand into new habitats and adapt to new environments that became increasingly stressful for its diploid progenitor(s). The new polyploid clone probably formed in shallow waters after the inundation of Shark Bay less than 8500 years ago and subsequently expanded via vegetative growth into newly submerged habitats.
Genetic fidelity and viability of Anigozanthos viridis following tissue culture, cold storage and cryopreservation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2001
Assessment of genetic diversity and mating system of Acacia cyclops restoration and remnant populations
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-08-2019
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13007
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers for the banded ironstone endemic Acacia karina (Leguminosae: Mimosaceae) and cross-species amplification with A. stanleyi and A. jibberdingensi
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-03-2010
DNA barcoding for conservation, seed banking and ecological restoration of Acacia in the Midwest of Western Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-02-2013
Abstract: We used DNA barcoding to address an important conservation issue in the Midwest of Western Australia, working on Australia's largest genus of flowering plant. We tested whether or not currently recommended plant DNA barcoding regions (matK and rbcL) were able to discriminate Acacia taxa of varying phylogenetic distances, and ultimately identify an ambiguously labelled seed collection from a mine-site restoration project. Although matK successfully identified the unknown seed as the rare and conservation priority listed A. karina, and was able to resolve six of the eleven study species, this region was difficult to lify and sequence. In contrast, rbcL was straightforward to recover and align, but could not determine the origin of the seed and only resolved 3 of the 11 species. Other chloroplast regions (rpl32-trnL, psbA-trnH, trnL-F and trnK) had mixed success resolving the studied taxa. In general, species were better resolved in multilocus data sets compared to single-locus data sets. We recommend using the formal barcoding regions supplemented with data from other plastid regions, particularly rpl32-trnL, for barcoding in Acacia. Our study demonstrates the novel use of DNA barcoding for seed identification and illustrates the practical potential of DNA barcoding for the growing discipline of restoration ecology.
Complex genetic relationships within and among cytotypes in the Lepidosperma costale species complex (Cyperaceae) on rocky outcrops in Western Australia
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/BT18103
Abstract: There is a growing realisation that cytotype variation within species complexes plays an important role in plant evolution however, there are relatively few investigations that describe the genetic ersity within and among related cytotypes. In the present study, we analysed patterns of genetic variation in 774 in iduals from nine diploid, 14 tetraploid and five mixed ploidy populations of the Lepidosperma costale complex (Cyperaceae) from rocky outcrops in south-west Australia. Application of nuclear (nSSR) and chloroplast (cpSSR) microsatellites suggests that polyploids are of autopolyploid and allopolyploid origin and that polyploidisation is associated with a shift to facultative clonal reproduction, including apomictic reproduction. The newly-discovered putative allopolyploids were commonly associated with disturbed environments, an association commonly reported for allopolyploids. Diploid populations generally contained more genetic ersity than polyploid populations, and there was little genetic differentiation among diploid populations. In contrast, polyploids were characterised by higher heterozygosity and differentiation among populations, but possessed lower within-population ersity. The high differentiation among polyploid populations suggests that polyploids may have formed recurrently and are an important component of morphologically cryptic ersity within the species complex. Ploidy level is a critical factor affecting genetic ersity in this species complex, highlighting the potential contributions of polyploidy to genetic differentiation, and potentially speciation.
Conservation of old individual trees and small populations is integral to maintain species' genetic diversity of a historically fragmented woody perennial
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2019
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.15164
Abstract: Historically fragmented and specialized habitats such as granite outcrops are understudied globally unique hot spots of plant evolution. In contrast to predictions based on mainstream population genetic theory, some granite outcrop plants appear to have persisted as very small populations despite prolonged geographic and genetic isolation. Eucalyptus caesia Benth. is a long-lived lignotuberous tree endemic with a naturally fragmented distribution on granite outcrops in south-western Australia. To quantify population to landscape-level genetic structure, we employed microsatellite genotyping at 14 loci of all plants in 18 stands of E. caesia. S led stands were characterized by low levels of genetic ersity, small absolute population sizes, localized clonality and strong fine-scale genetic sub ision. There was no significant relationship between population size and levels of heterozygosity. At the landscape scale, high levels of population genetic differentiation were most pronounced among representatives of the two subspecies in E. caesia as originally circumscribed. Past genetic interconnection was evident between some geographic neighbours separated by up to 20 km. Paradoxically, other pairs of neighbouring stands as little as 7 km apart were genetically distinct. There was no consistent pattern of isolation by distance across the 280 km range of E. caesia. Low levels of gene flow, together with strong drift within stands, provide some explanation of the patterns of genetic differentiation we observed. In idual genet longevity via the ability to repeatedly resprout and expand from a lignotuber may enhance the persistence of some woody perennial endemic plants despite small population size, minimal genetic interconnection and low heterozygosity.
The interaction of environment and genetic diversity within meadows of the seagrass Posidonia australis (Posidoniaceae)
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 23-06-2014
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10812
Restricted gene flow within the morphologically complex species Persoonia mollis (Proteaceae): contrasting evidence from the mating system and pollen dispersal
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-1994
DOI: 10.1038/HDY.1994.113
Field of Dreams: Restitution of Pollinator Services in Restored Bird‐Pollinated Plant Populations
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-10-2014
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12152
Long‐distance dispersal of seeds in the fire‐tolerant shrub Banksia attenuata
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2009
A genetic assessment of a successful seagrass meadow (Posidonia australis) restoration trial
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12028
Genetic impacts of habitat loss on the rare ironstone endemic Tetratheca paynterae subsp. paynterae
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-12-2008
Genotyping-by-Sequencing in a Species Complex of Australian Hummock Grasses (Triodia): Methodological Insights and Phylogenetic Resolution
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 30-01-2017
Genetic connectivity and inter-population seed dispersal of Banksia hookeriana at the landscape scale
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 19-07-2010
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCQ140
Genetic delineation of local provenance defines seed collection zones along a climate gradient
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-08-2015
Abstract: Efforts to re-establish native plant species should consider intraspecific variation if we are to restore genetic ersity and evolutionary potential. Data describing spatial genetic structure and the scale of adaptive differentiation are needed for restoration seed sourcing. Genetically defined provenance zones provide species-specific guidelines for the distance within which seed transfer likely maintains levels of genetic ersity and conserves locally adapted traits. While a growing number of studies incorporate genetic marker data in delineation of local provenance, they often fail to distinguish the impacts of neutral and non-neutral variation. We analysed population genetic structure for 134 lified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers in Stylidium hispidum (Stylidiaceae) along a north–south transect of the species' range with the goal to estimate the distance at which significant genetic differences occur among source and recipient populations in restoration. In addition, we tested AFLP markers for signatures of selection, and examined the relationship of neutral and putatively selected markers with climate variables. Estimates of population genetic structure revealed significant levels of differentiation (Φ PT = 0.23) and suggested a global provenance distance of 45 km for pairwise comparisons of 16 populations. Of the 134 markers, 13 exhibited evidence of ersifying selection (Φ PT = 0.52). Using data for precipitation and thermal gradients, we compared genetic, geographic and environmental distance for subsets of neutral and selected markers. Strong isolation by distance was detected in all cases, but positive correlations with climate variables were present only for markers with signatures of selection. We address findings in light of defining local provenance in ecological restoration.
A Phylogeographic Analysis of Allozyme Variation among Populations of Persoonia mollis (Proteaceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1998
DOI: 10.1071/BT97051
Abstract: The phylogeography of 18 populations representing all nine subspecies within Persoonia mollis R.Br. (Proteaceae) was estimated from allozyme frequency data. Trees were constructed using UPGMA, maximum likelihood (CONTML) and maximum parsimony (FREQPARS) procedures. Major differences in topology between the UPGMA tree and other trees indicated that evolutionary rates are probably heterogeneous in different lineages in P. mollis, and that the UPGMA tree is inaccurate as it assumes constant evolutionary rates in all lineages. The maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony trees produced near-identical topologies. The major patterns produced by these trees included the early differentiation of subspecies maxima, the well-supported clade of all other P. mollis populations and, within this clade, the split into two clades that, although distinct, was weakly differentiated at their base. Within these two clades, there is a strong correlation between geographical distance between populations and the position of populations on the tree. These trees are consistent with a scenario of range expansion along two distinct paths in a southerly direction from northern refugia since the last glacial maximum, which is supported by data on the vegetation history of the area. These southern paths currently terminate in populations that share a hybrid zone of apparently secondary origin west of the Budawang Range.
Genetic diversity, mating system, and reproductive output of restored melaleuca acuminata populations are comparable to natural remnant populations
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
Date: 28-10-2019
DOI: 10.3368/ER.37.4.222
Widespread genetic connectivity in Australia’s most common owl, despite extensive habitat fragmentation
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-07-2020
METHODOLOGICAL INSIGHTS: Rapid genetic delineation of provenance for plant community restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2004
Sex differences in the association between socioeconomic status and diabetes prevalence and incidence in China: cross-sectional and prospective studies of 0.5 million adults.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-05-2019
An Evaluation of the AFLP Fingerprinting Technique for the Analysis of Paternity in Natural Populations of Persoonia mollis (Proteaceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1998
DOI: 10.1071/BT97043
Abstract: The accurate assignment of paternity in natural plant populations is required to address important issues in evolutionary biology, such as the factors that affect reproductive success. Newly developed molecular fingerprinting techniques offer the potential to address these aims. Here, we evaluate the utility of a new PCR-based multi-locus fingerprinting technique called Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) for paternity studies in Persoonia mollis (Proteaceae). AFLPs were initially scored for five in iduals from three taxonomic levels for 64 primer pairs: between species (P. mollis and P. levis), between subspecies (P. mollis subsp. nectens and subsp. livens), between in iduals within a single population of P. mollis, as well as for a naturally pollinated seed from a single P. mollis subsp. nectens plant. Overall, 1164 fragments (24.6% of all fragments) were polymorphic between species, 743 (16.5%) between subspecies, 371 (8.6%) between in iduals within a single population, and 265 (6.2%) between a plant and its seed. Within a single P. mollis population of 14 plants, 42 polymorphic fragments were scored from profiles generated by a single AFLP primer pair. The mean frequency of the recessive allele (q) over these 42 loci was 0.773. Based on these observations, it will be feasible to generate well over 100 polymorphic AFLP loci with as few as three AFLP primer pairs. This level of polymorphism is sufficient to assign paternity unambiguously to more than 99% of all seed in experiments involving small, known paternity pools. More generally, the AFLP procedure is well suited to molecular ecological studies, because it produces more polymorphism than allozymes or RAPDs but, unlike conventionally developed microsatellite loci, it requires no prior sequence knowledge and minimal development time.
Persistence and stochasticity are key determinants of genetic diversity in plants associated with banded iron formation inselbergs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-11-2019
DOI: 10.1111/BRV.12477
Abstract: The high species endemism characteristic of many of the world's terrestrial island systems provides a model for studying evolutionary patterns and processes, yet there has been no synthesis of studies to provide a systematic evaluation of terrestrial island systems in this context. The banded iron formations (BIFs) of south-western Australia are ancient terrestrial island formations occurring within a mosaic of alluvial clay soils, sandplains and occasional granite outcropping, across an old, gently undulating, highly weathered, plateau. Notably, these BIFs display exceptionally high beta plant ersity. Here, we address the determinants and consequences of genetic ersity for BIF-associated plant species through a comprehensive review of all studies on species distribution modelling, phylogenetics, phylogeography, population genetics, life-history traits and ecology. The taxa studied are predominantly narrowly endemic to in idual or a few BIF ranges, but some have more regional distributions occurring both on and off BIFs. We compared genetic data for these BIF-endemic species to other localised species globally to assess whether the unique history and ancestry of BIF landscapes has driven distinct genetic responses in plants restricted to this habitat. We also assessed the influence of life-history parameters on patterns of genetic ersity. We found that BIF-endemic species display similar patterns of genetic ersity and structure to other species with localised distributions. Despite often highly restricted distributions, large effective population size or clonal reproduction appears to provide these BIF-endemic species with ecological and evolutionary resilience to environmental stochasticity. We conclude that persistence and stochasticity are key determinants of genetic ersity and its spatial structure within BIF-associated plant species, and that these are key evolutionary processes that should be considered in understanding the biogeography of inselbergs worldwide.
Genetic structure of seedling cohorts following repeated wildfires in the fire‐sensitive shrub Persoonia mollis ssp. nectens
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-06-2009
The movement ecology of seagrasses
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 22-11-2014
Abstract: A movement ecology framework is applied to enhance our understanding of the causes, mechanisms and consequences of movement in seagrasses: marine, clonal, flowering plants. Four life-history stages of seagrasses can move: pollen, sexual propagules, vegetative fragments and the spread of in iduals through clonal growth. Movement occurs on the water surface, in the water column, on or in the sediment, via animal vectors and through spreading clones. A capacity for long-distance dispersal and demographic connectivity over multiple timeframes is the novel feature of the movement ecology of seagrasses with significant evolutionary and ecological consequences. The space–time movement footprint of different life-history stages varies. For ex le, the distance moved by reproductive propagules and vegetative expansion via clonal growth is similar, but the timescales range exponentially, from hours to months or centuries to millennia, respectively. Consequently, environmental factors and key traits that interact to influence movement also operate on vastly different spatial and temporal scales. Six key future research areas have been identified.
The potential impact of mining on population genetic variation in the Banded Ironstone Formation endemic Tetratheca erubescens (Elaeocarpaceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/BT18054
Abstract: Tetratheca erubescens is a narrowly endemic species including ~6300 plants restricted to a 2-km2 distribution on the south Koolyanobbing Range Banded Ironstone Formation (BIF) in Western Australia. A key objective of the present study was to characterise population genetic variation, and its spatial structuring across the entire distribution of T. erubescens, to enable a quantification of genetic variation that may be affected by proposed mining of the BIF. In total, 436 plants (~30 at each of 14 sites) from across the entire distribution were s led, genotyped and scored for allelic variation at 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Fifty-nine alleles were detected (mean alleles per locus=5.36, range 2–10), and observed heterozygosity was low to moderate and typically lower than expected heterozygosity across all loci (mean observed heterozygosity (Ho)=0.41, mean expected heterozygosity (He)=0.48). Given the restricted distribution of T. erubescens, overall genetic structuring was surprisingly strong (overall FST=0.098). A range-wide spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated a significant positive genetic correlation at distances up to 450m, largely corresponding to the scale of more-or-less continuous distribution within each of two geographic clusters. In support, a STRUCTURE analysis identified an optimal number of genetic clusters as K=2, with assignment of in iduals to one of two genetic clusters corresponding with the main geographic clusters. The genetic impact of proposed mining on T. erubescens was assessed on the basis of identifying plants within the proposed mine footprint (all plants from 4 of 14 sites). Repeating analyses of genetic variation after removal of these s les, and comparing to the complete dataset adjusted for s le size, resulted in the loss of one (very rare: overall frequency=0.001) allele (i.e. 58 of 59 alleles (98.3%) were recovered). All other parameters of genetic variation (mean Na, Ne, I, Ho, He, F) were unaffected. Consequently, although up to 22% of all plants fall within the mine footprint and, therefore, may be lost, & % of alleles detected will be lost, and other genetic parameters remained unaffected. Although these results suggest that the proposed mining will result in a negligible impact on the assessed genetic variation and its spatial structuring in T. erubescens, further research on impacts to, and management of, quantitative genetic variation and key population genetic processes is required.
A threatened ecological community
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1071/BT20089
Abstract: The rapid expansion of urban areas worldwide is leading to native habitat loss and ecosystem fragmentation and degradation. Although the study of urbanisation’s impact on bio ersity is gaining increasing interest globally, there is still a disconnect between research recommendations and urbanisation strategies. Expansion of the Perth metropolitan area on the Swan Coastal Plain in south-western Australia, one of the world’s thirty-six bio ersity hotspots, continues to affect the Banksia Woodlands (BWs) ecosystem, a federally listed Threatened Ecological Community (TEC). Here, we utilise the framework of a 1989 review of the state of knowledge of BWs ecology and conservation to examine scientific advances made in understanding the composition, processes and functions of BWs and BWs’ species over the last 30 years. We highlight key advances in our understanding of the ecological function and role of mechanisms in BWs that are critical to the management of this ecosystem. The most encouraging change since 1989 is the integration of research between historically disparate ecological disciplines. We outline remaining ecological knowledge gaps and identify key research priorities to improve conservation efforts for this TEC. We promote a holistic consideration of BWs with our review providing a comprehensive document that researchers, planners and managers may reference. To effectively conserve ecosystems threatened by urban expansion, a range of stakeholders must be involved in the development and implementation of best practices to conserve and maintain both bio ersity and human wellbeing.
Paternity analysis reveals wide pollen dispersal and high multiple paternity in a small isolated population of the bird-pollinated Eucalyptus caesia (Myrtaceae)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-08-2016
DOI: 10.1038/HDY.2016.61
Rapid genetic identification of local provenance seed collection zones for ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2006
Systematics of the Austral–Pacific family Goodeniaceae: Establishing a taxonomic and evolutionary framework
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.1002/TAX.612012
Polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for Daviesia triflora (Papilionaceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-10-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1755-0998.2008.02286.X
Abstract: We developed 11 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for an Australian native plant, Daviesia triflora. The number of alleles per locus in 40 in iduals varied from four to 19, and observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.450 to 0.925 and from 0.497 to 0.899, respectively. Nine loci showed no significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05), and null alleles appear to exist at loci DT-A102 and DT-B103. All loci showed independent inheritance.
Historic and contemporary biogeographic perspectives on range-wide spatial genetic structure in a widespread seagrass
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2023
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.9900
Abstract: Historical and contemporary processes drive spatial patterns of genetic ersity. These include climate‐driven range shifts and gene flow mediated by biogeographical influences on dispersal. Assessments that integrate these drivers are uncommon, but critical for testing biogeographic hypotheses. Here, we characterize intraspecific genetic ersity and spatial structure across the entire distribution of a temperate seagrass to test marine biogeographic concepts for southern Australia. Predictive modeling was used to contrast the current Posidonia australis distribution to its historical distribution during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Spatial genetic structure was estimated for 44 s led meadows from across the geographical range of the species using nine microsatellite loci. Historical and contemporary distributions were similar, with the exception of the Bass Strait. Genetic clustering was consistent with the three currently recognized biogeographic provinces and largely consistent with the finer‐scale IMCRA bioregions. Discrepancies were found within the Flindersian province and southwest IMCRA bioregion, while two regions of admixture coincided with transitional IMCRA bioregions. Clonal ersity was highly variable but positively associated with latitude. Genetic differentiation among meadows was significantly associated with oceanographic distance. Our approach suggests how shared seascape drivers have influenced the capacity of P. australis to effectively track sea level changes associated with natural climate cycles over millennia, and in particular, the recolonization of meadows across the Continental Shelf following the LGM. Genetic structure associated with IMCRA bioregions reflects the presence of stable biogeographic barriers, such as oceanic upwellings. This study highlights the importance of biogeography to infer the role of historical drivers in shaping extant ersity and structure.
Soil DNA chronosequence analysis shows bacterial community re‐assembly following post‐mining forest rehabilitation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13706
Abstract: Mining activities modify both aboveground and belowground ecological communities, presenting substantial challenges for restoration. The soil microbiome is one of these impacted communities and performs important ecosystem functions but receives limited focus in restoration. Sequencing soil DNA enables accurate and cost‐effective assessment of soil microbiota, allowing for comparisons across land use, environmental, and temporal gradients. We used licon sequencing of the bacterial 16s rRNA gene extracted from soil s les across a 28‐year post‐mining rehabilitation chronosequence to assess soil bacterial composition and ersity following rehabilitation at a bauxite mine in Western Australia's jarrah forest. We show that while bacterial alpha ersity did not differ between reference and rehabilitated sites, bacterial community composition changed dramatically across the chronosequence, suggesting strong impacts by mining and rehabilitation activities. Bacterial communities generally became increasingly similar to unmined reference sites with time since rehabilitation. Soil from sites rehabilitated as recently as 14 years ago did not have significantly different communities to reference sites. Overall, our study provides evidence indicating the recovery of soil bacterial communities toward reference states following rehabilitation. Including several ecological reference sites revealed substantial natural variability in bacterial communities from within a single mine site. We urge future restoration chronosequence studies to s le reference sites that geographically span the restored sites and/or are spatially paired with restored sites to ensure this variability is captured and to improve any inferences on recovery.
Population genetic analysis reveals barriers and corridors for gene flow within and among riparian populations of a rare plant
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-11-2017
An ecological genetic delineation of local seed‐source provenance for ecological restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-06-2013
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.595
Population-size effects on seeds and seedlings from fragmented eucalypt populations: Implications for seed sourcing for ecological restoration
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1071/BT06141
Abstract: Ecological restoration of degraded habitats is a major conservation activity requiring the collection of large amounts of native seed. Seed production and the genetic quality of seed may be influenced by properties of the source population, such as population size and fragmentation, potentially having an impact on restoration goals. We assessed the population-size effects on seed production and seedling performance in two Western Australian wheatbelt eucalypts, Eucalyptus salmonophloia F.Muell. and E. salubris F.Muell. Both species were historically widespread and dominant, but, as a consequence of land-clearing for agriculture, now exist as small, highly fragmented populations throughout the western half of their range. Given their former importance in the landscape, these species will be critical in ecological restoration of the region. We assessed small (n = 6–12) and large (n 200) remnant populations in a highly fragmented landscape and compared these to large unfragmented populations. Seed number per capsule was dependent on population size and fragmentation for E. salubris, but not for E. salmonophloia. Large, unfragmented populations of E. salubris produced more than twice the number of seeds per capsule (mean = 2.95) than small and/or fragmented populations. However, seed germination, seed weight, seedling survival and seedling vigour to 1 year were independent of population size or fragmentation in both species. Our results suggest that reduced population size and increased fragmentation can negatively affect pollen quantity and/or quality, thereby limiting seed production, although no fitness effects were observed post-seed maturation. We suggest that the relative absence of post-seed maturation fitness effects in these small fragmented populations are a consequence of (1) wide outcrossing resulting from long-distance dispersal of pollen by highly mobile birds among fragmented populations and/or (2) efficient pre- or post-zygotic selection against more homozygous zygotes within fruits so that only relatively outbred seeds mature. The consequences on seed collection for ecological restoration of reduced population size and increased fragmentation for these eucalypts may be fewer seeds for the same collecting effort, but no apparent fitness effects of mature seeds. However, caution should be exercised when harvesting seed from these smaller populations, as over-harvesting may have an impact on recruitment and hence long-term persistence.
Against the odds: Complete outcrossing in a monoecious clonal seagrass Posidonia australis (Posidoniaceae)
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-05-2014
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCU048
Provenance variation of ecologically important traits of forest trees: implications for restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-04-2007
Does restored plant diversity play a role in the reproductive functionality of Banksia populations?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-10-2017
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12456
Genetic diversity in fragmented populations of the critically endangered spider orchid Caladenia huegelii: implications for conservation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-08-2008
Primary pollinator exclusion has divergent consequences for pollen dispersal and mating in different populations of a bird-pollinated tree
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-10-2019
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.15264
Abstract: Pollination by nectarivorous birds is predicted to result in different patterns of pollen dispersal and plant mating compared to pollination by insects. We tested the prediction that paternal genetic ersity, outcrossing rate and realized pollen dispersal will be reduced when the primary pollinator group is excluded from bird-pollinated plants. Pollinator exclusion experiments in conjunction with paternity analysis of progeny were applied to Eucalyptus caesia Benth. (Myrtaceae), a predominantly honeyeater-pollinated tree that is visited by native insects and the introduced Apis mellifera (Apidae). Microsatellite genotyping at 14 loci of all adult E. caesia at two populations (n = 580 and 315), followed by paternity analysis of 705 progeny, revealed contrasting results between populations. Honeyeater exclusion did not significantly impact pollen dispersal or plant mating at Mount Caroline. In contrast, at the Chiddarcooping site, the exclusion of honeyeaters led to lower outcrossing rates, a threefold reduction in the average number of sires per fruit, a decrease in intermediate-distance mating and an increase in near-neighbour mating. The results from Chiddarcooping suggest that bird pollination may increase paternal genetic ersity, potentially leading to higher fitness of progeny and favouring the evolution of this strategy. However, further experimentation involving additional trees and study sites is required to test this hypothesis. Alternatively, insects may be effective pollinators in some populations of bird-adapted plants, but ineffective in others.
Untangling a species complex of arid zone grasses (Triodia) reveals patterns congruent with co-occurring animals
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2016.05.014
Abstract: The vast Australian arid zone formed over the last 15million years, and gradual aridification as well as more extreme Pliocene and Pleistocene climate shifts have impacted the evolution of its biota. Understanding the evolutionary history of groups of organisms or regional biotas such as the Australian arid biota requires clear delimitation of the units of bio ersity (taxa). Here we integrate evidence from nuclear (ETS and ITS) and chloroplast (rps16-trnK spacer) regions and morphology to clarify taxonomic boundaries in a species complex of Australian hummock grasses (Triodia) to better understand the evolution of Australian arid zone plants and to evaluate congruence in distribution patterns with co-occurring organisms. We find evidence for multiple new taxa in the T. basedowii species complex, but also incongruence between data sets and indications of hybridization that complicate delimitation. We find that the T. basedowii complex has high lineage ersity and endemism in the biologically important Pilbara region of Western Australia, consistent with the region acting as a refugium. Taxa show strong geographic structure in the Pilbara, congruent with recent work on co-occurring animals and suggesting common evolutionary drivers across the biota. Our findings confirm recognition of the Pilbara as an important centre of bio ersity in the Australian arid zone, and provide a basis for future taxonomic revision of the T. basedowii complex and more detailed study of its evolutionary history and that of arid Australia.
Characterization and transferability of microsatellites for the Kangaroo Paw, Anigozanthos manglesii (Haemodoraceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2017
DOI: 10.3732/APPS.1700055
Mismatch in the distribution of floral ecotypes and pollinators: insights into the evolution of sexually deceptive orchids
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-02-2015
DOI: 10.1111/JEB.12593
Abstract: Plants are predicted to show floral adaptation to geographic variation in the most effective pollinator, potentially leading to reproductive isolation and genetic ergence. Many sexually deceptive orchids attract just a single pollinator species, limiting opportunities to experimentally investigate pollinator switching. Here, we investigate Drakaea concolor, which attracts two pollinator species. Using pollinator choice tests, we detected two morphologically similar ecotypes within D. concolor. The common ecotype only attracted Zaspilothynnus gilesi, whereas the rare ecotype also attracted an undescribed species of Pogonothynnus. The rare ecotype occurred at populations nested within the distribution of the common ecotype, with no evidence of ecotypes occurring sympatrically. Surveying for pollinators at over 100 sites revealed that ecotype identity was not correlated with wasp availability, with most orchid populations only attracting the rare Z. gilesi. Using microsatellite markers, genetic differentiation among populations was very low (GST = 0.011) regardless of ecotype, suggestive of frequent gene flow. Taken together, these results may indicate that the ability to attract Pogonothynnus has evolved recently, but this ecotype is yet to spread. The nested distribution of ecotypes, rather than the more typical formation of ecotypes in allopatry, illustrates that in sexually deceptive orchids, pollinator switching could occur throughout a species' range, resulting from multiple potentially suitable but unexploited pollinators occurring in sympatry. This unusual case of sympatric pollinators highlights D. concolor as a promising study system for further understanding the process of pollinator switching from ecological, chemical and genetic perspectives.
Weak genetic structuring suggests historically high genetic connectivity among recently fragmented urban populations of the scincid lizard, Ctenotus fallens
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1071/ZO15022
Abstract: Populations in fragmented urban remnants may be at risk of genetic erosion as a result of reduced gene flow and elevated levels of inbreeding. This may have serious genetic implications for the long-term viability of remnant populations, in addition to the more immediate pressures caused by urbanisation. The population genetic structure of the generalist skink Ctenotus fallens was examined using nine microsatellite markers within and among natural vegetation remnants within a highly fragmented urban matrix in the Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia. These data were compared with s les from a large unfragmented site on the edge of the urban area. Overall, estimates of genetic ersity and inbreeding within all populations were similar and low. Weak genetic differentiation, and a significant association between geographic and genetic distance, suggests historically strong genetic connectivity that decreases with geographic distance. Due to recent fragmentation, and genetic inertia associated with low genetic ersity and large population sizes, it is not possible from these data to infer current genetic connectivity levels. However, the historically high levels of gene flow that our data suggest indicate that a reduction in contemporary connectivity due to fragmentation in C. fallens is likely to result in negative genetic consequences in the longer term.
Isolation, via 454 sequencing, characterization and transferability of microsatellites for Grevillea thelemanniana subsp. thelemanniana and cross-species amplification in the Grevillea thelemanniana complex (Proteaceae)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-04-2013
Recent range expansion in Australian hummock grasses (Triodia) inferred using genotyping-by-sequencing
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-2019
Population genetic structure of island and mainland populations of the quokka, Setonix brachyurus (Macropodidae): a comparison of AFLP and microsatellite markers
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-10-2011
Rapid Genetic Decline in a Translocated Population of the Endangered Plant Grevillea scapigera
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2002
Conservation biology of the rare species Conospermum undulatum and Macarthuria keigheryi in an urban bushland remnant
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/BT05205
Abstract: We evaluated the utility of a focussed, short-duration research program for investigation of two rare species that occur within an urban bushland remnant, with application for improving conservation management and translocation outcomes. Conospermum undulatum Lindl. is listed as Threatened and Macarthuria keigheryi Lepschi is listed as Vulnerable under the (Australian) Federal Environment Protection and Bio ersity Conservation Act 1999. The C. undulatum population lacked evidence of juvenile plants, indicating either lack of a suitable germination cue or failure of seedling establishment. The M. keigheryi population was browsed heavily by feral rabbits where exposed and thrived when sheltered within unpalatable vegetation from rabbits. Seeds of M. keigheryi were rapidly removed in an ant cafeteria-style experiment, although seeds of the related Macarthuria australis and an ‘outgroup’ species, Gompholobium tomentosum, were removed at equally high rates. Seed viability was high in M. keigheryi, but variable in C. undulatum. Germination rates, in untreated fresh seed, were 11% for C. undulatum and 0% for M. keigheryi and increased to 27 and 3%, respectively, when treated with gibberellic acid. Maximum strike rates for cuttings of 33 and ~75% were obtained for C. undulatum and M. keigheryi, respectively. Cutting-grown plants of M. keigheryi flowered and seeded profusely in the nursery within 7 months, providing a highly effective seed-orchard resource for research and conservation seed banking. Genetic fingerprinting (AFLP) indicated that the C. undulatum population at Perth Airport was not genetically distinct from nearby C. undulatum populations, despite its relatively high variability in leaf morphology. All C. undulatum populations contained moderate to high levels of genetic variation, with the percentage of AFLP markers polymorphic ranging from 48.6 to 64.9%, and heterozygosity from 0.167 to 0.202. Overall, the knowledge gained from this program of short duration will enable informed management and will underpin successful population enhancement through future translocations.
Effectiveness of camera traps for quantifying daytime and nighttime visitation by vertebrate pollinators
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-08-2018
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.4438
Temporal patterns of genetic variation across a 9‐year‐old aerial seed bank of the shrub Banksia hookeriana (Proteaceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-10-2005
Anthropogenic disturbance promotes hybridization between Banksia species by altering their biology
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-06-2003
DOI: 10.1046/J.1420-9101.2003.00548.X
Abstract: Putative hybrids between Banksia hookeriana and B. prionotes were identified among 12 of 106 populations of B. hookeriana located at or near anthropogenically disturbed sites, mainly roadways, but none in 156 undisturbed populations. Morphometrics and AFLP markers confirmed that a hybrid swarm existed in a selected disturbed habitat, whereas no intermediates were present where the two species co-occurred in undisturbed vegetation. In iduals of both species in disturbed habitats at 12 sites were more vigorous, with greater size and more flower heads than their counterparts in undisturbed vegetation. These more fecund plants also showed a shift in season and duration of flowering. By promoting earlier flowering of B. hookeriana plants and prolonging flowering of B. prionotes, anthropogenic disturbance broke the phenological barrier between these two species. We conclude that anthropogenic disturbance promotes hybridization through increasing opportunities for gene flow by reducing interpopulation separation, increasing gamete production and, especially, promoting coflowering.
Restored and remnant Banksia woodlands elicit different foraging behavior in avian pollinators
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-07-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.7946
Abstract: Pollinators and the pollination services they provide are critical for seed set and self‐sustainability of most flowering plants. Despite this, pollinators are rarely assessed in restored plant communities, where their services are largely assumed to re‐establish. Bird–pollinator richness, foraging, and interaction behavior were compared between natural and restored Banksia woodland sites in Western Australia to assess their re‐establishment in restored sites. These parameters were measured for natural communities of varying size and degree of fragmentation, and restored plant communities of high and low complexity for three years, in the summer and winter flowering of Banksia attenuata and B. menziesii , respectively. Bird visitor communities varied in composition, richness, foraging movement distances, and aggression among sites. Bird richness and abundance were lowest in fragmented remnants. Differences in the composition were associated with the size and degree of fragmentation in natural sites, but this did not differ between seasons. Restored sites and their adjacent natural sites had similar species composition, suggesting proximity supports pollinator re‐establishment. Pollinator foraging movements were influenced by the territorial behavior of different species. Using a network analysis approach, we found foraging behavior varied, with more frequent aggressive chases observed in restored sites, resulting in more movements out of the survey areas, than observed in natural sites. Aggressors were larger‐bodied Western Wattlebirds ( Anthochaera chrysoptera ) and New Holland Honeyeaters ( Phylidonyris novaehollandiae ) that dominated nectar resources, particularly in winter. Restored sites had re‐established pollination services, albeit with clear differences, as the degree of variability in the composition and behavior of bird pollinators for Banksias in the natural sites created a broad completion target against which restored sites were assessed. The abundance, ersity, and behavior of pollinator services to remnant and restored Banksia woodland sites were impacted by the size and degree of fragmentation, which in turn influenced bird–pollinator composition, and were further influenced by seasonal changes between summer and winter. Consideration of the spatial and temporal landscape context of restored sites, along with plant community ersity, is needed to ensure the maintenance of the effective movement of pollinators between natural remnant woodlands and restored sites.
Genetic Variation and Biogeographic History in the Restricted Southwestern Australian Shrub,Banksia Hookeriana
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2003
Reproductive success in a reintroduced population of a critically endangered shrub, Symonanthus bancroftii (Solanaceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1071/BT06136
Abstract: Symonanthus bancroftii is a critically endangered dioecious shrub, with only one male and one female plant known in the wild. Micropropagated, clonal plants of the male and female parents were hand-pollinated. Seed was germinated in sterile culture and a subsequent daughter (F1) seedling was multiplied in vitro. Micropropagated plants of the original parents and daughter were reintroduced to a natural habitat site. We detail the first study of pollination biology and reproductive success in this extremely rare species. Floral morphology, flowering phenology, pollen viability, female receptivity and fruit set of reintroduced plants of S. bancroftii were investigated. Flower viability of S. bancroftii shows a 25-day maximum for male flowers, whereas non-pollinated female flowers remain viable for a maximum of 38 days (female parent) and 41 days (daughter), respectively. Flowering of reintroduced male and female plants overlaps from mid-June to early November. Pollen remained viable for at least 8 days after anther dehiscence. Maximum stigma longevity recorded was 28 days (female parent) and 39 days (daughter) and maximum ovule longevity varied from 13 days (female parent) to 28 days (daughter). The mean percentage of flowers setting fruit was 39 ± 13% for female parent plants and 48 ± 4% for daughter plants. Empirical reproductive success measures for male–daughter crosses generally exceeded those of the original parent crosses. The reproductive success of S. bancroftii so soon after reintroduction of plants is a positive sign indicating that rapid accumulation of a soil seedbank is feasible and is thus an important first step towards successful establishment of self-sustaining populations of this critically endangered species.
Ants cannot account for interpopulation dispersal of the arillate pea Daviesia triflora
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-11-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1469-8137.2008.02686.X
Abstract: Estimating distances and rates of seed dispersal, especially long-distance dispersal (LDD), is critical for understanding the dynamics of patchily distributed populations and species' range shifts in response to environmental change. Daviesia triflora (Papilionaceae) is an ant-dispersed shrub. The ant Rhytidoponera violacea was recorded dispersing its seeds to a maximum distance of 4.7 m, and in more intensive trials seeds of a related species from the study area, to a maximum of 8.1 m. Microsatellite DNA markers and population assignment tests identified interpopulation immigrants among 764 plants on 23 adjacent dunes bearing D. triflora, and 13 interpopulation seed dispersal (LDD) events (1.7%) were inferred. The distance between source and sink populations ranged from 410 m to 2350 m (mean 1260 m). These distances exceed ant dispersal distances by two to three orders of magnitude but are comparable with previous measurements of LDD for two co-occurring wing-seeded (wind-dispersed) species from the same system. The observed distances of seed dispersal in this arillate species demonstrate the significance of nonstandard dispersal mechanisms in LDD and the independence of these from primary dispersal syndromes. The likely role of emus in dispersal of the many 'ant-dispersed' species in Australia is discussed.
Plant mating system dynamics in restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-07-2022
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13609
Abstract: Ecological restoration is addressing the challenge of bio ersity conservation in landscapes where native vegetation has been extensively cleared. Reestablishing ecological interactions that support self‐sustainable populations plays an essential role in restoration efforts. For animal‐pollinated plant species, comparing mating system dynamics within restoration populations with natural remnant populations can inform the progress of restoration activities. We assessed mating system parameters, seed weight, invertebrate floral visitors, and genetic ersity for two restoration populations and two native reference remnant populations of the animal‐pollinated, woody shrub/tree, Hakea laurina (Proteaceae) in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region. There was no difference in outcrossing rates between the two sites (restoration and reference populations combined) or treatments (sites combined). However, one restoration population showed significantly lower outcrossing that was correlated with reduced seed weight, greater inbreeding, and significantly lower invertebrate richness and abundance compared to its nearby remnant population. In contrast, in the other restoration population, all measures were comparable to the reference remnant population. Local genetic ersity available in remnant populations was captured in both restoration populations. Limitations to pollinator services may be affecting mating patterns and potentially population fitness, in a younger restoration population with reduced proximity to remnant vegetation, which has a tall coplanted overstorey species and spatially aggregated in iduals. We highlight these aspects of restoration populations as important areas of ongoing research that will impact the reestablishment of ecological interactions, and the assessment of mating system dynamics as a valuable tool to inform the current progress of restoration activities.
A framework for the practical science necessary to restore sustainable, resilient, and biodiverse ecosystems
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-12-2016
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12475
No evidence for early inbreeding depression in planted seedlings of Eucalyptus caesia, an anciently fragmented tree endemic on granite outcrops
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-10-2019
Long‐distance seed dispersal in a metapopulation of Banksia hookeriana inferred from a population allocation analysis of amplified fragment length polymorphism data
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-02-2004
Increased ecological amplitude through heterosis following wide outcrossing in Banksia ilicifolia R.Br. (Proteaceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-02-2006
DOI: 10.1111/J.1420-9101.2005.01067.X
Abstract: To assess whether wide outcrossing (over 30 km) in the naturally fragmented Banksia ilicifolia R.Br. increases the ecological litude of offspring, we performed a comparative greenhouse growth study involving seedlings of three hand-pollinated progeny classes (self, local outcross, wide outcross) and a range of substrates and stress conditions. Outcrossed seedlings outperformed selfed seedlings, with the magnitude of inbreeding depression as high as 62% for seed germination and 37% for leaf area. Wide outcrossed seedlings outperformed local outcrossed seedlings, especially in non-native soils, facilitated in part by an improved capacity to overcome soil constraints through greater root carboxylate exudation. Soil type significantly affected seedling growth, and waterlogging and water deficit decreased growth, production of cluster roots, root exudation and total plant P uptake. Our results suggest that the interaction of narrow ecological litude and the genetic consequences of small fragmented populations may in part explain the narrow range of local endemics, but that wide outcrossing may provide opportunities for increased genetic variation, increased ecological litude and range expansion.
Morphological and molecular variation in Conospermum triplinervium (Proteaceae), the tree smokebush: implications for bushland restoration
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1071/BT07137
Abstract: Ecological restoration benefits from information on population genetic structure and variation within a species to make informed decisions on where to source material of the local genetic provenance. Conospermum triplinervium is extremely rare in Bold Park, a large bushland remnant currently undergoing restoration in Perth, Western Australia. We s led plants from Bold Park and six other native populations across the northern half of the species’ range to assess patterns of morphological and genetic variation. There was considerable variation across six leaf measures with significant differentiation among some populations. The molecular data showed a high level of population structure (ΘB = 0.4974), with varying degrees of spatial overlap among populations in an ordination plot. Significant differentiation was observed among all pairs of populations, except for Bold Park and its geographically closest populations at Kings Park and Neerabup. These two populations had greater genetic variation (50.9% and 54.5% polymorphic markers, respectively) than did that at Bold Park (20.2%). The small Bold Park population would benefit from augmentation (via cuttings) from local plants. However, in the longer term, should the Bold Park population show evidence of declining viability, then material should be sourced from the genetically similar Kings Park population to increase genetic variation whilst also maintaining genetic integrity.
Genetic signatures of Bassian glacial refugia and contemporary connectivity in a marine foundation species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-08-2016
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.12822
Polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for Banksia hookeriana (Proteaceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-10-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1755-0998.2008.02348.X
Abstract: We developed 11 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for an Australian native shrub Banksia hookeriana (Proteaceae). The number of alleles per locus in 37 in iduals varied from three to 17, observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.297 to 0.838 and from 0.279 to 0.900, respectively. Two loci (BH-B5 and BH-B107) showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0.05), and null alleles may be present at these two loci. All loci showed independent inheritance.
Testing the Home-Site Advantage in Forest Trees on Disturbed and Undisturbed Sites
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-10-2008
Molecular markers detect multiple origins of Agonis flexuosa (Myrtaceae) plants used in urban bushland restoration
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-11-2006
DNA ploidy variation and distribution in the Lepidosperma costale complex (Cyperaceae): implications for conservation and restoration in a biodiversity hotspot
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/BT16197
Abstract: Intraspecific ploidy variation is an important component of angiosperm bio ersity however, this variation is rarely considered in conservation programs. This is of particular concern when conservation activities include augmentation, reintroduction or ecological restoration because there are potentially negative consequences when ploidy variants are unintentionally mixed within populations. We surveyed regional ploidy variation in the Lepidosperma costale Nees species complex (Schoeneae: Cyperaceae) in the South West Australian Floristic Region, an international bio ersity hotspot. Several L. costale sensu lato populations are threatened by iron-ore extraction, including the rare L. gibsonii R.L.Barrett, and these populations are the subject of ecological restoration programs. The DNA ploidy of 2384 in iduals from 28 populations across the range of the species complex was determined and four DNA ploidy levels were discovered, namely, diploid, triploid, tetraploid and pentaploid. Diploids and tetraploids were the most common cytotypes and were largely geographically segregated, even at an exhaustively studied contact zone. Triploids were found at a low frequency in two populations. The rarity of triploids suggests substantial interploidy sterility, and that mixing of ploidy variants should, therefore, be avoided when restoring L. costale s.l. populations. These data provide a guide for L. costale s.l. germplasm collection and suggest that polyploidy may be an important driver of ersification in these sedges.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite primers for the critically endangered shrub Styphelia longissima (Ericaceae)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2017
DOI: 10.3732/APPS.1700108
Complete exclusion of nonsires in an analysis of paternity in a natural plant population using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-1999
Late Quaternary climate change and spatial genetic structure in the shrub Banksia hookeriana
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-03-2006
Accurate gene diversity estimates from amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2000
DOI: 10.1046/J.1365-294X.2000.01001.X
Abstract: Three procedures for the estimation of null allele frequencies and gene ersity from dominant multilocus data were empirically tested in natural populations of the outcrossing angiosperm Persoonia mollis (Proteaceae). The three procedures were the square root transform of the null homozygote frequency, the Lynch & Milligan procedure, and the Bayesian method. Genotypes for each of 116 polymorphic loci generated by lified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were inferred from segregation patterns in progeny arrays. Therefore, for the plus phenotype (band present), heterozygotes were distinguished from homozygotes. In contrast to previous studies, all three procedures produced very similar mean estimates of heterozygosity, which were in turn accurate estimators of the direct value (HO = 0.28). A second population of P. mollis displayed markedly lower levels of heterozygosity (HO = 0.20) but approximately twice as many polymorphic loci (284). These AFLP results show that biases in estimates of average null allele frequency and heterozygosity are largely eliminated in highly polymorphic dominant marker data sets displaying a J-shaped beta distribution with a high percentage of loci containing more than three null homozygotes and relatively few loci with no null homozygotes. This distribution may be typical of outcrossing angiosperms.
Genetic impacts of habitat loss on the rare Banded Ironstone Formation endemic Ricinocarpos brevis (Euphorbiaceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/BT18131
Abstract: Ricinocarpos brevis (Euphorbiaceae) is a declared rare species currently known from only three Banded Ironstone Formation (BIF) ranges (Perrinvale, Johnston and Windarling Ranges) in the Yilgarn region of Western Australia. The present study assessed the potential impact of proposed mining on genetic ersity within R. brevis. Approximately 30 plants were s led from each of 14 sites across the known distribution of R. brevis. Genetic variation and its spatial structure was assessed with 144 polymorphic AFLP markers that were generated by two independent primer pairs: M-CTG/P-AC (81 markers) and M-CTA/P-AC (63 markers). Hierarchical spatial genetic structure was assessed by an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), Mantel tests of association between genetic- and geographic-distance and ordination. Specific attention was given to the extent of genetic differentiation of the three populations on the Windarling Range W4 deposit, which was proposed for mining operations. Strong genetic differentiation (ΦPT=0.186–0.298) among the three ranges was found. Genetic differentiation of the Johnston Range populations from Windarling and Perrinvale was greater than expected under isolation by distance predictions, suggesting adaptive genetic differentiation driven by site environmental differences, reflected by differences in plant community, substrate and landscape features. In contrast, genetic differentiation among the three Windarling Range regions (W2, W3, W4) was weaker (ΦPT=0.055–0.096). Mean pairwise ΦPT=0.078 for the 10 Windarling sites, which was unchanged with the removal of the W4 populations. In addition, none of the markers scored were unique to the W4 populations. Thus, for this set of markers, the removal of plants on the Windarling Range W4 deposit had little impact on genetic ersity within R. brevis. Strong concordance in results from the independent datasets generated by the two AFLP primer pairs provides overall support for the conclusions drawn.
Limited pollen-mediated dispersal and partial self-incompatibility in the rare ironstone endemic Tetratheca paynterae subsp. paynterae increase the risks associated with habitat loss
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-08-2011
Preferential outcrossing in Banksia ilicifolia (Proteaceae)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2005
DOI: 10.1071/BT04011
Abstract: The breeding system of Banksia ilicifolia was assessed by performing controlled hand-pollination manipulations on flowers in a natural population in Perth, Western Australia. The percentage of 2000 flowers per treatment converted to fruits and seeds was assessed across 24 recipient plants following (1) self-pollination, (2) local outcross pollination (same population), (3) non-local outcross pollination (pollen sourced from another population 30 km away), (4) unpollinated but bagged flowers and (5) unpollinated, unbagged flowers (natural pollination). The relative performance of the resulting seeds was assessed by seed weight, germination rates and, in an unplanned component of the study, resistance to a fungal pathogen. The percentage of flowers converted to fruits following self-pollination was low (0.9%), but demonstrated self-compatibility. Fruit set following cross-pollinations (3.6 and 3.3% for non-local and local crosses, respectively) was significantly greater than that following self-pollination, open-pollination (0.4%) and autogamous (0.04%) treatments. Low fruit set for open-pollinated flowers, compared with self- and outcross-pollination treatments, suggests pollen limitation. Pollen tubes were observed in 15 and 20% of upper styles of flowers hand-pollinated with self and local outcross pollen, respectively. Seed germination was dependent on the source of pollen, where fewer selfed seeds germinated (37%) than did both non-local and local outcrossed seeds (83 and 91%, respectively). Selfed seedlings showed poorer survival (33.3%) following fungal attack than both non-local and local outcrossed seeds (69.2 and 68.5%, respectively). Only 13% of selfed seeds survived to be 2-month-old seedlings, compared with 63% for non-local and 57% for local outcrossed seeds. Ultimately, for 2000 flowers hand-pollinated with self pollen, only three seedlings survived to an age of 16 weeks, compared with 37 and 45 seedlings for local-cross and non-local cross treatments on 2000 hand-pollinated flowers, respectively. These results indicate that in this population, B. ilicifolia is self-compatible, but preferentially outcrossing, with strong early acting inbreeding depression. Consequently, the breeding system of B. ilicifolia promotes the maintenance of genetic variation and a high genetic load.
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End Date: 07-2005
Amount: $152,437.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP0669757
Start Date: 11-2006
End Date: 11-2011
Amount: $631,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP130100918
Start Date: 07-2013
End Date: 07-2016
Amount: $375,331.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP150100450
Start Date: 12-2015
End Date: 12-2019
Amount: $400,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityIndustrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC150100041
Start Date: 06-2016
End Date: 12-2021
Amount: $4,961,622.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP100100620
Start Date: 12-2010
End Date: 06-2014
Amount: $461,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP140103357
Start Date: 2014
End Date: 12-2017
Amount: $935,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP100200429
Start Date: 11-2010
End Date: 12-2013
Amount: $272,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0211759
Start Date: 02-2002
End Date: 06-2005
Amount: $180,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP110101480
Start Date: 2011
End Date: 12-2015
Amount: $420,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0212041
Start Date: 2002
End Date: 12-2004
Amount: $155,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP120100350
Start Date: 11-2012
End Date: 11-2016
Amount: $549,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP210100118
Start Date: 10-2022
End Date: 10-2025
Amount: $499,654.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP190100051
Start Date: 11-2020
End Date: 12-2023
Amount: $439,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP180100668
Start Date: 2018
End Date: 07-2021
Amount: $525,413.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP210101932
Start Date: 2021
End Date: 12-2024
Amount: $517,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP0348958
Start Date: 11-2002
End Date: 12-2007
Amount: $340,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity