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Demographic vulnerability of an extreme xerophyte in arid Australia
Citation
Prior, LD and Hua, Q and Bowman, DMJS, Demographic vulnerability of an extreme xerophyte in arid Australia, Australian Journal of Botany, 66, (1) pp. 26-38. ISSN 0067-1924 (2018) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Journal compilation copyright CSIRO 2018
DOI: doi:10.1071/BT17150
Abstract
Callitris glaucophylla (syn. C. columellaris F.Muell.) is an iconic Australian conifer that is suffering a recruitment deficit over much of the arid zone. Here, seedling establishment requires a series of unusually wet years, and protection from high levels of herbivory. The aim of our study was to determine the size class structure of C. glaucophylla populations in the most arid part (150 mm mean annual precipitation) of its range, and particularly whether seedlings had established during a wet period in 2010/11. We sampled C. glaucophylla populations throughout the region, including inside a 6000 ha feral animal exclosure. We found no seedlings from 2010/11, except on drainage lines adjacent to roads. Of 255 plots centred on mature trees, only 2% contained older seedlings, and 8% contained saplings, with no differences inside or outside exclosure, and 84% of trees were larger than 20 cm basal diameter. Matching dates of known regeneration with long-term rainfall records suggested that successful regeneration of C. glaucophylla requires a total of 600–720 mm of rain over a 2 year period. Our radiocarbon dating showed the age of three large trees ranged from 106 to 268 years, signifying that such trees in this region likely have only 2–8 climatic opportunities to reproduce.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | arid zone, plant ecology, Callitris, conifer, regeneration, carbon dating |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Terrestrial ecology |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Terrestrial systems and management |
Objective Field: | Terrestrial biodiversity |
UTAS Author: | Prior, LD (Dr Lynda Prior) |
UTAS Author: | Bowman, DMJS (Professor David Bowman) |
ID Code: | 125732 |
Year Published: | 2018 (online first 2017) |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 3 |
Deposited By: | Plant Science |
Deposited On: | 2018-05-02 |
Last Modified: | 2018-12-07 |
Downloads: | 34 View Download Statistics |
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