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Flora and vegetation of ultramafic areas in Tasmania
Author(s) -
GIBSON N.,
Brown M. J.,
WILLIAMS K.,
Brown A. V.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1992.tb00811.x
Subject(s) - ultramafic rock , sclerophyll , ecology , vegetation (pathology) , flora (microbiology) , species richness , rainforest , floristics , endemism , taxon , geography , colluvium , geology , biology , paleontology , soil water , medicine , pathology , bacteria , mediterranean climate
A floristic survey of the ultramafic areas of Tasmania was undertaken. In the northern areas dry sclerophyll communities with a heath understorey were found on this substrate, while in the wetter western and southern areas this geology supported heathlands, wet scrubs, wet sclerophyll/mixed forests and rainforests. One of the most striking features of the ultramafic areas in Tasmania is the variable degree of physiognomic differentiation between adjacent ultramafic and non‐ultramafic substrates at the different sites. Physiognomic differentiation is less on non‐lateritic soil types or where accumulation of colluvial material has occurred. Only three ultramafic endemic taxa have been recorded in Tasmania. One taxon is restricted to the dry north of the State while the other two taxa are found on the west coast. The endemic taxa appear to be associated with lateritic soil development. The two ultramafic endemics of the west coast are unreserved at present.