Premium
Biogeography of Australian saltmarsh plants
Author(s) -
SAINTILAN NEIL
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
austral ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.688
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 1442-9985
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.02001.x
Subject(s) - biogeography , herbarium , ecology , salt marsh , geography , latitude , flora (microbiology) , species diversity , biology , genetics , geodesy , bacteria
The paper seeks to define patterns in the distribution of Australian saltmarsh plants over a continental scale, and test for associations with environmental variables. The distribution of 93 species of Australian saltmarsh plants was documented from the records of the Australian Virtual Herbarium and published reports. The Interim Bioregionalisation of Australia provided a spatial unit for the analysis of patterns of diversity. Saltmarsh diversity was shown to be strongly correlated with latitude and temperature. Multivariate routines including cluster analysis demonstrated consistent geographic patterns in species assemblages. The primary distinction was found to be a north‐south divide dissecting the continent at the latitude of 23° south, separating a species‐rich southern flora from a species‐poor northern flora. Subsequent dissimilarities were defined between coastlines of contrasting orientation. Mean minimum temperature was found to explain nearly 80% of variability in saltmarsh species diversity between bioregions, with diversity inversely related to temperature.