Journal of Biogeography
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Patterns of rain forest plant endemism in subtropical Australia relate to stable mesic
refugia and species dispersal limitations
Lui C. Weber, Jeremy VanDerWal, Susanne Schmidt, William J. F. McDonald and Luke P. Shoo
APPENDIX S3 Testing independence of variables, the mid-domain effect and subregional
richness, and evidence of relict and isolated endemic taxa in rain forests of subtropical
eastern Australia.
We tested for excessive correlations between independent variables that could negatively
impact the reliability of multiple regressions. Pairwise Spearman’s rho correlations were
calculated for isolated forest patches in the R software package as outlined in Materials and
Methods. The results are presented in Table S3.1.
We tested for inflation of richness in endemic taxa in subregions simply because this
subregion is near centre of the study area (a mid-domain effect). The subregional richness of
endemic plant taxa was recalculated after excluding species that occur north and then south of
the border ranges which is the central subregion with the highest richness, see Table S3.2.
We examined what portion of endemic rain forest plant lineages may have persisted in long
term refugia in subtropical Australia rather than being endemic as a result of more recent
dispersal and speciation events. A literature review was undertaken for flora species, genera
and families endemic to the study area by compiling published fossil, biogeographical and
phylogenetic evidence for the history of these plant groups, in Australia and elsewhere.
Details of plant lineages likely to be more relict and geographically and phylogenetically
isolated are provided in Table S3.1.
Table S3.1 Pairwise correlations between independent variables (Spearman’s rho) for
isolated forest patches.
Log area
Elevation SD
Log max rainfall
Max stability
Log area
1.000
0.593
0.129
0.077
Elevation SD
0.593
1.000
0.357
–0.126
Log max rainfall
0.129
0.357
1.000
0.390
Max stability
0.077
–0.126
0.390
1.000
Table S3.2 Subregional richness of endemic taxa derived from all subtropical endemics
combined (all), northern subtropical endemics only (N only) and southern subtropical
endemics only. Northern species are those restricted to subregions 1–3, while southern
species are those restricted to subregions 3-6 (see Fig. S2.1). * Subregion 3 encompasses the
Border Ranges centre of endemism. Bold denotes the subregion being tested for inflation of
richness due to the mid domain effect.
Subregion
Endemic (all)
Endemic (N only)
Endemic (S only)
1
29
14
NA
2
70
33
NA
3*
142
63
88
4
88
n.a.
51
5
46
n.a.
23
6
30
n.a.
16
Table S3.3 Relict, phylogenetically and geographically isolated endemic taxa in subtropical
Australian rain forests, evidence from fossils and genetic studies.
Species/Group
Location
Evidence
References
Petermannia cirrosa
Family Petermanniaceae
Subtropical Endemic
Border Ranges to
Hastings River
Subtropical Endemic
Sunshine Coast to Port
Maquarie
This vine is the sole extant member of the
Petermanniaceae and a fossil from
Victoria 35 Ma may belong to this family.
One of two living species of the family
Akaniaceae with its only extant relative in
China (Bretschneidera) and fossils from
South America 60 Ma
These two vines constitute two of the three
genera in the entire order Berberidopsales
which is otherwise restricted to Chile,
where the tree Aextoxicon punctatum and
vine Berberidopsis carollinana occur.
Berberidopsales are estimated to have
evolved 113 Ma and diversified 88 Ma
One of only three species in the
Eupomatiaceae which is basal to
widespread family Annonaceae, and
similar to fossils from 90 Ma
This vine is the only Australian
representative of this small genus with
others in the pacific, placed in the order
Austrobaileyales, the third most basal
lineage of flowering plants with a fossil
100 Ma in Japan
Three species of the six species globally
are endemic to subtropical rainforests
Daphnandra along with Doryphora also
from eastern Australia is the most basal
(Conran, 1988;
Conran et al.,
1994).
(Gandolfo et al.,
1988; Gradek et al.,
1992)
Akania bidwillii
Family Akaniaceae
Berberidopsis beckleri and
Streptothamnus moorei
Family Berberidopsaceae
Order Berberidopsales
Eupomatia bennettii
Family Eupomatiaceae
Both Subtropical
Endemics B. beckleri
from Border Ranges
to Barrington Tops, S.
moorei From the
Border Ranges to
Clarence River
Subtropical Endemic
Bulburin to Nambucca
Trimenia moorei
Family Trimeniaceae Order
Austrobaileyales
Subtropical Endemic
Border Ranges to
Genus Daphnandra
Family Atherospermataceae
D. tenuipes restricted
to Border Ranges, D.
melasmana Border
ranges and Dorrigo
(Magallón &
Castillo, 2009)
(Carlquist, 1992;
Crepet & Nixon,
1998; Doyle &
Endress, 2010)
(Yamada et al.,
2008).
(Renner et al.,
2000)
Species/Group
Location
Evidence
and D. micrantha
Hastings and Macleay
Rivers.
lineage in the Atherospermataceae. This
lineage may have separated from the rest
of the family 90 Ma and Doryphora from
Daphnandra 38 Ma.
One of only two species in the genus the
other restricted to the Wet Tropics of
North QLD, virtually identical fossil fruit
are known from Victoria 40 Ma. The
lineage is estimated to have split from the
Protea clade > 90Ma
Eidothea hardeniana Genus
Eidothea
Endemic to a single
location on the
Nightcap Range
Border Ranges
Macadamia jansenii, M.
ternifolia, and M.
tetraphylla
Genus Macadamia
This genus is Endemic
to the Subtropics with
three of the four
species restricted to
single refugia,
Bulburin, Sunshine
Coast and Border
Ranges
T. robusta is endemic
to the Sunshine Coast
while T. youngiana is
endemic to the Border
Ranges and Dorrigo.
Subtropical endemic
Border ranges and
Sunshine Coast
Triunia youngiana and T.
robusta
Floydia praealta
Genus Floydia
Nothofagus moorei
Subtropical Endemic
from Border Ranges
to Barrington Tops
Eucryphia jinksii
Genus Eucryphia
This species is
endemic to two nearby
locations on the
Springbrook Plateau
Border Ranges.
Endemic to the
Sunshine Coast
Nothoalsomitra suberosa
Genus Nothoalsomitra
Endiandra pubens, E.
virens, E. lowiana
Neoastelia spectabilis
Genus Neoastelia
Elaeocarpus sedentarius
and E. williamsianus
Subtropical Endemics
E. lowiana is restricted
to the Sunshine Coast
Endemic to the
Dorrigo Ebor area.
Both species are
endemic to the Border
Ranges, the genus is
widespread in tropical
asia.
Macadamia jansenii diverged several
million years ago from M. ternifolia.
North Queensland taxa previously
regarded in this genus are not closely
related and are now in the genus Lasjia.
Fossils similar to M. tetraphylla or M.
ternifolia are known from the Miocene in
New Zealand.
Triunia is a lineage that diverged up to 80
MYA from Orites and Helicia two of the
four living species are endemic to
Subtropical Rainforests while the other
two are endemic to the Wet Tropics.
Floydia has only a single species in the
genus which is endemic to Subtropical
Rainforests and not found in the Wet
Tropics, the lineage diverged 40-60 Ma
from Xylomelum and Lambertia
Genus with extensive fossil record and
biogeographical significance. The nearest
geographical and genetic relative N.
cunninghamii from Victoria and Tasmania
has been shown to have evolved from an
N. moorei like ancestor.
The nearest other species are in the Wet
Tropics of North QLD and Southern NSW
only two other species in temperate
rainforests of South America. Fossil are
known from southern Australia 60 Ma
The only member of the genus which is an
isolated lineage in the Cucurbitaceae that
diverged 37 MYA and is basal to a clade
of 300 old and new world species.
Fossils similar to E. pubens are known
from the Mid Miocene in Southern
Australia
The only living member of the genus
Neoastelia may be basal to Milligania a
genus with five species endemic to
Tasmania
A genetic phylogeny suggests that E.
sedentarus and its nearest relative from
New Guinea may have diverged 45 Ma
and be basal to genera Elaeocarpus,
Aristotlea and Sericolea.
Fossil fruits similar to E. williamsianus are
common in the Oligo-Miocene in NSW
References
(Weston &
Kooyman, 2002 ;
Rossetto &
Kooyman, 2005;
Barker et al., 2007 ;
Sauquet et al.,
2009)
(Vadala &
Greenwood, 2001;
Mast et al., 2008
)
(Barker et al., 2007)
(Barker et al.,
2007 ; Mast et al.,
2008)
(Hill, 1983; Bale &
Williams, 1993;
Taylor et al., 2005;
Heads, 2006;
)
(Forster & Hyland,
1997; Barnes &
Jordan, 2000;
Barnes et al., 2001)
(Kocyan et al.,
2007 ; Schaefer et
al., 2009)
(Hyland, 1989;
Vadala &
Greenwood, 2001)
(Maciunas et al.,
2011)
(Rozefelds &
Christophel, 2002;
Crayn et al., 2006 ;
Maynard et al.,
2008; Weber, 2009)
Species/Group
Location
Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia
Genus Hicksbeachia
Endemic to the Border
Ranges and Bellinger.
Vesselowskya rubiifolia and
V. venusta
Genus Vesselowskya
Endemic to Dorrigo
Ebor and Barrington
Tops
Davidsonia jerseyana and
D. johnsonii
Endemic to the Border
Ranges
Genus Lenwebbia
Border Ranges and
Sunshine Coast
Centres
Evidence
Victoria and Tasmania and E.
williamsianus diverged from E. grandis 15
Ma
One of only two named species in the
genus with the other endemic to the wet
Tropics of North QLD. Fossil fruits
similar to Hicksbeachia are known from
central QLD 30 Ma and in central NSW
12 Ma
This genus is presently endemic to
Subtropical Australia however a fossil
virtually indistinguishable from V.
rubiifolia is known from the Oligocene in
Tasmania.
Two of only three named species in the
genus with the other endemic to the wet
Tropics of North QLD. The second most
basal lineage in Cunoniaceae that diverged
40 Ma.
This genus is sister to Lophomyrtus from
New Zealand
References
(Dettmann &
Clifford, 2010)
(Carpenter &
Buchanan, 1993)
(Barnes et al.,
2001)
(Wilson et al.,
2005)
(Snow et al., 2003)
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