Development of EST microsatellite markers for the Tasmanian palaeoendemic conifer Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook. f.) Quinn (Podocarpaceae)

Nuclear Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) microsatellite markers were developed for the Tasmanian palaeoendemic conifer Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook.-f.) Quinn for genetic studies. RNAseq data was mined for EST microsatellites, and primer pairs were synthesised from 70 contigs with 50 producing amplification products. Of these 50, 10 reliably amplified and displayed polymorphism across 8 samples representing the entire species range. The genetic diversity of these 10 loci was then examined in three wild populations (84 samples). The number of alleles varied from two to thirteen per locus with the average number of alleles per population ranging between 3.0 – 4.7. Observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.34 – 0.42 and 0.37 – 0.44, respectively. Marker cross-amplification was tested in the New Zealand sister species Manoao colensoi (Hook. f.) Molloy, but no markers amplified reliably, which possibly reflects the age of divergence between these species (~64 million years). These are the first microsatellite markers developed for the monotypic genus Lagarostrobos. They will be valuable for assessing the species extant genetic diversity, the impact of past climatic perturbations and human disturbance and the role of clonal propagation in recruitment.

Is there any Evidence for Regional Atmospheric 14C Offsets in the Southern Hemisphere?

Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS) Tasmanian Huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) decadal measurements for the interval AD 745–855 suggest a mean interhemispheric radiocarbon offset (20 ± 5 yr), which is considerably lower than the previously reported mean interhemispheric offset for the last 2 millennia (44 ± 17 yr). However, comparable University of Waikato (Wk) New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis) measurements show significantly higher values (56 ± 6 yr), suggesting the possibility of a temporary geographic (intrahemispheric) offset between Tasmania, Australia, and Northland, New Zealand, during at least 1 common time interval. Here, we report 9 new Wk Tasmanian Huon pine measurements from the decades showing the largest Huon/kauri difference. We show statistically indistinguishable Wk Huon and Wk kauri 14C ages, thus dispelling the suggestion of a 14C geographic offset between Tasmania and Northland.

High-Precision Radiocarbon Measurements of Tree-Ring Dated Wood from New Zealand: 195 Bc–Ad 995

The best means for correcting Southern Hemisphere (SH) radiocarbon measurements, which are significantly influenced by temporal variations in the interhemispheric offset, is by the construction of a SH-specific calibration curve from dendrochronologically dated wood. We present here decadal 14C measurements on dendrochronologically secure New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis), covering the period 195 BC–AD 995, extending the range of calibration measurements from New Zealand tree rings to more than 2 millennia.Recently published Tasmanian huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) data for the interval 165 BC to AD 1095 measured at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS) have underestimated standard errors, which need to be re-assessed before the data can be considered for a Southern Hemisphere calibration curve update. The CAMS huon data, unlike the Waikato kauri data presented here, show a significant reduction in the SH offset for the interval AD 775–855. Although these data points are being checked, it is unlikely this represents a temporal geographic location-dependent offset. With re-assessed errors, the huon data set from 165 BC to AD 995 closely matches the new kauri data, with the combined data sets producing a mean interhemispheric offset with IntCal09 of 44 ± 17 yr for the time interval 195 BC–AD 1845. This SH offset is lower than the modeled offset of 55–58 yr used in the construction of SHCal04, and we recommend the lower value be used in future SHCal updates. Although there is an apparent increase in higher frequency events in the SH offset (NZ kauri plus Tasmanian huon) from 200 BC–AD 1000, the reason for this remains unclear.

Chloroplast DNA phylogeography in long-lived Huon pine, a Tasmanian rain forest conifer

Genealogy based methods were used to estimate phylogeographic history for a Tasmanian endemic conifer, Huon pine ( Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook. f.) Quinn). DNA from trees in eight populations was sequenced using three chloroplast primers (trnS–trnT, trnD–trnT, and psbC–trnS). Mean nucleotide diversity was low (π = 0.000 93 ± 0.000 06) from 892 base pairs of sequence, but varied in stands from 0.0 to 0.001 15. Two of the five haplotypes were widely distributed, but the most frequently occurring haplotype was found only in the western portion of the range. Population structure was highly significant among populations overall (GST = 0.261, where GST is the coefficient of gene differentiation, and p ≤ 0.0001), and there were indications of significant isolation by distance (p ≤ 0.022). Populations exhibited the highest levels of differentiation between the southeastern and northwestern watersheds. Estimates of migration between populations obtained using both parametric and nonparametric methods indicated levels of gene flow consistent with an isolation by distance model. Nested clade analysis demonstrated a pattern of genetic diversity in Huon pine that is consistent with a history of range expansion. The exceptionally low level of nucleotide diversity, haplotype distribution, and paleoecological data are congruent with a history of long-term range reduction, population bottlenecks, and subsequent colonization events from refugial areas.

Phylogenetic assessment of the monotypic genera Sundacarpus and Manoao (Coniferales: Podocarpaceae) utilising evidence from 18S rDNA sequences

The Podocarpaceae are the most morphologically diverse of conifer families. A taxonomic trend has resulted in recognising this diversity via smaller generic groupings, including several monotypes. A phylogenetic assessment of the monotypic genera Sundacarpus and Manoao was conducted employing maximum parsimony the analysis of sequence data from 18S-ribosomal DNA from 34 gymnosperm taxa, including 29 Podocarpaceae. In resulting trees, there is high bootstrap support for Podocarpaceae, including Phyllocladus, but the order of deep branches within the family is equivocal. Prumnopitys (Sundacarpus) amara (Blume) de Laub. and four other Prumnopitys spp. comprise a clade with a bootstrap value of 100%, supporting the retention of Sundacarpus as a section of Prumnopitys. Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook.f.) Quinn and L. (Manoao) colensoi (Hook.) Quinn comprise a clade with equivocal bootstrap support, echoing previous results from parsimony analysis of morphological data. A conservative approach (i.e. one avoiding unnecessary monotypes) favours the retention of L. colensoi in Lagarostrobos, pending further evidence of relationships within the group.

Holocene Vegetation and Paleoclimatic and Paleomagnetic History from Lake Johnston, Tasmania

Lake Johnston cirque contains some of the best subalpine rainforest in Tasmania. Pollen from the sediments shows Lagarostrobos franklinii, which presently reaches 1040 m, may be a glacial relict. Nothofagus cunninghamii–Nothofagus gunnii subalpine rainforest developed between 9000 and 6000 14C yr B.P., with a maximum at 8700 14C yr B.P. After 6000 14C yr B.P. Nothofagus gunnii became more important, and from 3600 14C yr B.P. sclerophyll and heath components increased. Partial burning of the catchment occurred periodically. Early Holocene climate was warmer and wetter than late Holocene climate. The vegetation and climate changes are similar to those recorded from western South Island New Zealand and Chile. Radiocarbon dates give a sedimentation rate of 0.43 mm/yr. Cores are correlated by magnetic susceptibility. Magnetic ages are assigned by matching with the 14C-dated secular variation master curve for southeastern Australia. Magnetic ages are consistent with the 14C chronology when the former are adjusted by 350 years.

The Use of Ecological Tolerances for the Reconstruction of Tertiary Palaeoclimates

The major vegetation types may be recognised from the pollen assemblage being deposited beneath them, hence the palaeovegetation may be reconstructed from fossil pollen assemblages. The climatic parameters of the vegetation may then be used to reconstruct palaeoclimates. The result, however, is very general. Most pollen types can only be affiliated with a family, a genus or a group of species and the ecological tolerances within these groups may not be uniform. There are, however, some distinctive pollen types that can be identified with a single living species and this paper examines the potential of these types in the reconstruction of palaeoclimates. Lagarostrobos franklinii (J.D.Hook) Quinn, Huon pine, has a long history and the fossil occurrences of it are compatible with the hypothesis that its ecological tolerances have not changed and it has always required very high humidity. Two sclerophyllous taxa,Eucalyptus spathulata Hook. and Dodonaea triquetra Wendl., however, coexisted with rainforest and then other vegetation types as the climate became drier, adapting to the prevailing conditions. The evidence suggests that the salt-tolerant E. spathulata may have evolved in small patches of coastal scrub, subjected to marine influence, within the dominant rainforest vegetation.