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Biogeography of the Australian monsoon tropics
Citation
Bowman, DMJS and Brown, GK and Braby, MF and Brown, JR and Cook, LG and Crisp, MD and Ford, F and Haberle, S and Hughes, J and Isagi, Y and Joseph, L and McBride, J and Nelson, G and Ladiges, PY, Biogeography of the Australian monsoon tropics, Journal of Biogeography, 37, (2) pp. 201-216. ISSN 0305-0270 (2010) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
The definitive published version is available online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
Official URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
DOI: doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02210.x
Abstract
Aim This paper reviews the biogeography of the Australian monsoon tropical
biome to highlight general patterns in the distribution of a range of organisms
and their environmental correlates and evolutionary history, as well as to identify
knowledge gaps.
Location Northern Australia, Australian Monsoon Tropics (AMT). The AMT
is defined by areas that receive more than 85% of rainfall between November
and April.
Methods Literature is summarized, including the origin of the monsoon
climate, present-day environment, biota and habitat types, and phylogenetic and
geographical relationships of selected organisms.
Results Some species are widespread throughout the AMT while others are
narrow-range endemics. Such contrasting distributions correspond to presentday
climates, hydrologies (particularly floodplains), geological features (such as
sandstone plateaux), fire regimes, and vegetation types (ranging from rain forest
to savanna). Biogeographical and phylogenetic studies of terrestrial plants
(e.g. eucalypts) and animals (vertebrates and invertebrates) suggest that distinct
bioregions within the AMT reflect the aggregated effects of landscape and
environmental history, although more research is required to determine and
refine the boundaries of biogeographical zones within the AMT. Phylogenetic
analyses of aquatic organisms (fishes and prawns) suggest histories of associations
with drainage systems, dispersal barriers, links to New Guinea, and the existence
of Lake Carpentaria, now submerged by the Gulf of Carpentaria. Complex
adaptations to the landscape and climate in the AMT are illustrated by a number
of species.
Main conclusions The Australian monsoon is a component of a single global
climate system, characterized by a dominant equator-spanning Hadley cell.
Evidence of hot, seasonally moist climates dates back to the Late Eocene, implying
that certain endemic elements of the AMT biota have a long history. Vicariant
differentiation is inferred to have separated the Kimberley and Arnhem Land
bioregions from Cape York Peninsula/northern Queensland. Such older patterns
are overlaid by younger events, including dispersal from Southeast Asia, and
range expansions and contractions. Future palaeoecological and phylogenetic
investigations will illuminate the evolution of the AMT biome. Understanding the
biogeography of the AMT is essential to provide a framework for ecological
studies and the sustainable development of the region.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | Biogeography, fire, geological history, monsoon climate, northern Australia, phylogeny. |
Research Division: | Environmental Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecological applications |
Research Field: | Landscape ecology |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments |
Objective Field: | Assessment and management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems |
UTAS Author: | Bowman, DMJS (Professor David Bowman) |
ID Code: | 67363 |
Year Published: | 2010 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 231 |
Deposited By: | Plant Science |
Deposited On: | 2011-03-02 |
Last Modified: | 2014-12-18 |
Downloads: | 15 View Download Statistics |
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