Managing pest vertebrate species in Australia is a significant challenge for government, industry... more Managing pest vertebrate species in Australia is a significant challenge for government, industry, research sectors and land-managers. Innovative tools such as genetic biocontrol offers decision-makers a potentially effective means of reducing the impact of pest species incursions. To determine the conditions for investment in genetic biocontrol, we applied qualitative engagement methodologies to identify and integrate existing knowledge of pest species research and management in Australia. Two facilitated workshops were held to determine key topics related to genetic biocontrol technologies for selected pest species. The topics explored during workshop discussions included: identifying existing knowledge gaps; risk perceptions; social and ethical considerations and; industry and business considerations. The workshops' aim was to assess the potential, the priorities and the risk parameters among expert stakeholders and decision-makers for using genetic biocontrol approaches to r...
Topographically heterogeneous areas are likely to act as refugia for species because they facilit... more Topographically heterogeneous areas are likely to act as refugia for species because they facilitate survival during regional climatic stress due to availability of a range of microenvironments. The Stirling Ranges are a topographically complex area in the generally subdued and ancient landscape of south-western Australia. We investigated the influence of these landscape features on the evolutionary history of the rare woody shrub, Banksia brownii through a combined approach using phylogeographic analysis of sequence data from three chloroplast sequences, the trnV–ndhC, trnQ–rps16, and rpl32–ndhF intergenic spacer regions, and species distribution modeling. The Stirling Ranges showed high genetic diversity and differentiation among populations consistent with localized persistence and maintenance of large populations in an area that species distribution modeling identified as providing habitat stability at the Last Glacial Maximum as well as under warmer conditions. In contrast, pop...
Eucalyptus subseries Levispermae Brooker (subg. Symphyomyrtus, section Bisectae, series Levisperm... more Eucalyptus subseries Levispermae Brooker (subg. Symphyomyrtus, section Bisectae, series Levispermae; Brooker 2000; the E. redunca superspecies of Brooker & Hopper 1991) consists of nine terminal taxa with distributions in the wheatbelt and southern coastal regions of Western Australia (Figure 1). In the revision of the broader series Levispermae by Brooker and Hopper (1991), five species were recognised with four of these consisting of two subspecies each. Important characters for distinguishing taxa are growth form (related specifically to whether the taxon develops a lignotuber), mature leaf colour, glossiness and width, and operculum length, noting that there is little differentiation in fruit traits (Brooker & Hopper 1991). Currently recognised taxa, noting lignotuber states, are E. gardneri Maiden subsp. gardneri (obligate-seeder), E. gardneri subsp. ravensthorpensis Brooker & Hopper (obligate-seeder), E. densa Brooker & Hopper subsp. densa (obligate-seeder), E. densa subsp. improcera Brooker & Hopper (lignotuber-resprouter), E. pluricaulis Brooker & Hopper subsp. pluricaulis (lignotuber-resprouter), E. pluricaulis subsp. porphyrea Brooker & Hopper (lignotuberresprouter), E. varia Brooker & Hopper subsp. varia (lignotuber-resprouter), E. varia subsp. salsuginosa Brooker & Hopper (lignotuber-resprouter) and E. redunca Schauer (lignotuber-resprouter). Elevation
As species face rapid environmental change, we can build resilient populations through restoratio... more As species face rapid environmental change, we can build resilient populations through restoration projects that incorporate predicted future climates into seed sourcing decisions. is a foundation species of a critically endangered community in Australia that is a target for restoration. We examined genomic and phenotypic variation to make empirical based recommendations for seed sourcing. We examined isolation by distance and isolation by environment, determining high levels of gene flow extending for 500 km and correlations with climate and soil variables. Growth experiments revealed extensive phenotypic variation both within and among sampling sites, but no site-specific differentiation in phenotypic plasticity. Model predictions suggest that seed can be sourced broadly across the landscape, providing ample diversity for adaptation to environmental change. Application of our landscape genomic model to restoration projects can identify genomic variation suitable for predicted futu...
An understanding of how variation is shared within and among closely related species is important... more An understanding of how variation is shared within and among closely related species is important for understanding evolutionary processes and managing biological diversity. We studied genetic structure in the three species occurring in south-western Australia that form the small and distinct monophyletic section Calophyllae of the genus Corymbia. We compared diversity in nuclear microsatellites and chloroplast DNA sequences in two species with patchy distributions, namely, Corymbia haematoxylon (Maiden) K.D. Hill & L.A.S. Johnson and Corymbia ficifolia (F. Muell.) K.D. Hill & L.A.S. Johnson, with that in the widespread congener, C. calophylla (Lindl.) K.D. Hill & L.A.S. Johnson. Consistent with predictions for the influence of range and abundance on genetic structure in the Australian flora, population differentiation was higher in the two restricted patchy species than in the widespread, semicontinuous C. calophylla. Genetic diversity in C. haematoxylon was similar to that in C. c...
Phylogeographic studies can be used as a tool to understand the evolutionary history of a landsca... more Phylogeographic studies can be used as a tool to understand the evolutionary history of a landscape, including the major drivers of species distributions and diversity. Extensive research has been conducted on phylogeographic patterns of species found in northern hemisphere landscapes that were affected by glaciations, yet the body of literature for older, unaffected landscapes is still underrepresented. The Pilbara region of north-western Australia is an ancient and vast landscape that is topographically complex, consisting of plateaus, gorges, valleys, and ranges, and experiences extreme meteorological phenomena including seasonal cyclonic activity. These features are expected to influence patterns of genetic structuring throughout the landscape either by promoting or restricting the movement of pollen and seed. Whilst a growing body of literature exists for the fauna endemic to this region, less is known about the forces shaping the evolution of plant taxa. In this study we inves...
In this study we investigate the effect of population size on the proportion of flowers that prod... more In this study we investigate the effect of population size on the proportion of flowers that produce a fruit (fruit set), the number of seeds per fruit (seed set), seed germinability, seedling mortality and growth in a range of population fragments for the bird-pollinated mixed mating ...
The Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR) supports an exceptional number of threatened an... more The Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR) supports an exceptional number of threatened and data-deficient flora. In this study, we: (i) collated statistics on the number, listing criteria and tenure of occurrence of threatened and data-deficient flora; (ii) conducted spatial and biogeographic analyses to address questions concerning patterns of diversity of threatened and data-deficient flora relative to the whole flora and evolutionary and threat drivers; and (iii) examined whether threatened and data-deficient flora richness is evenly distributed across plant lineages. We found that although threatened and data-deficient flora occurred across the breadth of the SWAFR, high richness was concentrated in a limited number of locations, which were not always strongly aligned with areas of higher land transformation. Data-deficient flora demonstrated different spatial patterns of occurrence to threatened flora. Approximately 70% of the populations of threatened and data-deficien...
Managing pest vertebrate species in Australia is a significant challenge for government, industry... more Managing pest vertebrate species in Australia is a significant challenge for government, industry, research sectors and land-managers. Innovative tools such as genetic biocontrol offers decision-makers a potentially effective means of reducing the impact of pest species incursions. To determine the conditions for investment in genetic biocontrol, we applied qualitative engagement methodologies to identify and integrate existing knowledge of pest species research and management in Australia. Two facilitated workshops were held to determine key topics related to genetic biocontrol technologies for selected pest species. The topics explored during workshop discussions included: identifying existing knowledge gaps; risk perceptions; social and ethical considerations and; industry and business considerations. The workshops' aim was to assess the potential, the priorities and the risk parameters among expert stakeholders and decision-makers for using genetic biocontrol approaches to r...
Topographically heterogeneous areas are likely to act as refugia for species because they facilit... more Topographically heterogeneous areas are likely to act as refugia for species because they facilitate survival during regional climatic stress due to availability of a range of microenvironments. The Stirling Ranges are a topographically complex area in the generally subdued and ancient landscape of south-western Australia. We investigated the influence of these landscape features on the evolutionary history of the rare woody shrub, Banksia brownii through a combined approach using phylogeographic analysis of sequence data from three chloroplast sequences, the trnV–ndhC, trnQ–rps16, and rpl32–ndhF intergenic spacer regions, and species distribution modeling. The Stirling Ranges showed high genetic diversity and differentiation among populations consistent with localized persistence and maintenance of large populations in an area that species distribution modeling identified as providing habitat stability at the Last Glacial Maximum as well as under warmer conditions. In contrast, pop...
Eucalyptus subseries Levispermae Brooker (subg. Symphyomyrtus, section Bisectae, series Levisperm... more Eucalyptus subseries Levispermae Brooker (subg. Symphyomyrtus, section Bisectae, series Levispermae; Brooker 2000; the E. redunca superspecies of Brooker & Hopper 1991) consists of nine terminal taxa with distributions in the wheatbelt and southern coastal regions of Western Australia (Figure 1). In the revision of the broader series Levispermae by Brooker and Hopper (1991), five species were recognised with four of these consisting of two subspecies each. Important characters for distinguishing taxa are growth form (related specifically to whether the taxon develops a lignotuber), mature leaf colour, glossiness and width, and operculum length, noting that there is little differentiation in fruit traits (Brooker & Hopper 1991). Currently recognised taxa, noting lignotuber states, are E. gardneri Maiden subsp. gardneri (obligate-seeder), E. gardneri subsp. ravensthorpensis Brooker & Hopper (obligate-seeder), E. densa Brooker & Hopper subsp. densa (obligate-seeder), E. densa subsp. improcera Brooker & Hopper (lignotuber-resprouter), E. pluricaulis Brooker & Hopper subsp. pluricaulis (lignotuber-resprouter), E. pluricaulis subsp. porphyrea Brooker & Hopper (lignotuberresprouter), E. varia Brooker & Hopper subsp. varia (lignotuber-resprouter), E. varia subsp. salsuginosa Brooker & Hopper (lignotuber-resprouter) and E. redunca Schauer (lignotuber-resprouter). Elevation
As species face rapid environmental change, we can build resilient populations through restoratio... more As species face rapid environmental change, we can build resilient populations through restoration projects that incorporate predicted future climates into seed sourcing decisions. is a foundation species of a critically endangered community in Australia that is a target for restoration. We examined genomic and phenotypic variation to make empirical based recommendations for seed sourcing. We examined isolation by distance and isolation by environment, determining high levels of gene flow extending for 500 km and correlations with climate and soil variables. Growth experiments revealed extensive phenotypic variation both within and among sampling sites, but no site-specific differentiation in phenotypic plasticity. Model predictions suggest that seed can be sourced broadly across the landscape, providing ample diversity for adaptation to environmental change. Application of our landscape genomic model to restoration projects can identify genomic variation suitable for predicted futu...
An understanding of how variation is shared within and among closely related species is important... more An understanding of how variation is shared within and among closely related species is important for understanding evolutionary processes and managing biological diversity. We studied genetic structure in the three species occurring in south-western Australia that form the small and distinct monophyletic section Calophyllae of the genus Corymbia. We compared diversity in nuclear microsatellites and chloroplast DNA sequences in two species with patchy distributions, namely, Corymbia haematoxylon (Maiden) K.D. Hill & L.A.S. Johnson and Corymbia ficifolia (F. Muell.) K.D. Hill & L.A.S. Johnson, with that in the widespread congener, C. calophylla (Lindl.) K.D. Hill & L.A.S. Johnson. Consistent with predictions for the influence of range and abundance on genetic structure in the Australian flora, population differentiation was higher in the two restricted patchy species than in the widespread, semicontinuous C. calophylla. Genetic diversity in C. haematoxylon was similar to that in C. c...
Phylogeographic studies can be used as a tool to understand the evolutionary history of a landsca... more Phylogeographic studies can be used as a tool to understand the evolutionary history of a landscape, including the major drivers of species distributions and diversity. Extensive research has been conducted on phylogeographic patterns of species found in northern hemisphere landscapes that were affected by glaciations, yet the body of literature for older, unaffected landscapes is still underrepresented. The Pilbara region of north-western Australia is an ancient and vast landscape that is topographically complex, consisting of plateaus, gorges, valleys, and ranges, and experiences extreme meteorological phenomena including seasonal cyclonic activity. These features are expected to influence patterns of genetic structuring throughout the landscape either by promoting or restricting the movement of pollen and seed. Whilst a growing body of literature exists for the fauna endemic to this region, less is known about the forces shaping the evolution of plant taxa. In this study we inves...
In this study we investigate the effect of population size on the proportion of flowers that prod... more In this study we investigate the effect of population size on the proportion of flowers that produce a fruit (fruit set), the number of seeds per fruit (seed set), seed germinability, seedling mortality and growth in a range of population fragments for the bird-pollinated mixed mating ...
The Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR) supports an exceptional number of threatened an... more The Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR) supports an exceptional number of threatened and data-deficient flora. In this study, we: (i) collated statistics on the number, listing criteria and tenure of occurrence of threatened and data-deficient flora; (ii) conducted spatial and biogeographic analyses to address questions concerning patterns of diversity of threatened and data-deficient flora relative to the whole flora and evolutionary and threat drivers; and (iii) examined whether threatened and data-deficient flora richness is evenly distributed across plant lineages. We found that although threatened and data-deficient flora occurred across the breadth of the SWAFR, high richness was concentrated in a limited number of locations, which were not always strongly aligned with areas of higher land transformation. Data-deficient flora demonstrated different spatial patterns of occurrence to threatened flora. Approximately 70% of the populations of threatened and data-deficien...
Uploads
Papers by Margaret Byrne