Antarctic Beech at Comboyne

Antarctic Beech at Comboyne, Australia

There are four known populations of the Antarctic Beech in the Comboyne area, in New South Wales, Australia.[1]

In 1925, the botanist E.C. Chisholm wrote that the Antarctic Beech at Comboyne was "extremely rare, although many trees were undoubtedly destroyed during clearing." The Comboyne Plateau was mostly cleared between 1900 and 1925.[2][3]

The Comboyne plateau is a scarp-bounded paleoplain located between the central north coast of New South Wales and the Great Dividing Range. Miocene basalts overlie much of the plateau, creating relatively fertile red/brown soils.[4]

In the southern third of the plateau are underlying Triassic sediments of the Lorne basin.[1] The plateau has a wet, sub tropical climate,[5] though subject to frost and occasional snow.

The Antarctic Beech group (Nothofagaceae) is an ancient type of tree, of significance to southern hemisphere botanical distribution. This group is often associated with the breakup of the ancient super continent Gondwana. Plants in the Nothofagaceae are currently found in southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and New Caledonia).[6]

Previously known as Nothofagus moorei, the Antarctic Beech is a cool temperate rainforest tree, usually seen on the Great Dividing Range up to 1550 metres above sea level.[7][8] This species is distributed between the Barrington Tops in the south to the Lamington National Park in the north. At Comboyne they are found as low as 570 metres. The population at Comboyne was considered likely to be extinct by the scientific community, until published in 1994 by the botanists Bale & Williams. This community of trees regenerates well from seed and is notably vagile, with many young plants.[1]

It is the only other lowland population known, with those found near Dorrigo, to the north. The rainforest botanist A.G.Floyd considers the Comboyne examples of the Antarctic Beech, as part of the cool temperate sub type 49, of the rainforests of New South Wales.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lost & Found. Nothofagus moorei at Comboyne." authors CL Bale and JB Williams" (PDF). Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Cunninghamia - New South Wales. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  2. ↑ "THE COMBOYNE PLATEAU. Its General Conformation and Flora. By E. C. Chisholm, M.B., Ch.M.". biostor. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  3. ↑ "Comboyne Nature Reserve"" (PDF). Office of Environment & Heritage - New South Wales. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  4. ↑ "Red Podzolic Soil". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
  5. ↑ "Comboyne Climate Averages". Meat & Livestock Australia. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
  6. ↑ Veblen, Thomas; Hill, Robert; Read, Jennifer (1996). Ecology and Biogeography of Nothofagus Forests. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-06423-3.
  7. ↑ "Nothofagus moorei". PlantNet New South Wales Flora Online; author G.J. Harden. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  8. ↑ Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 2008, ISBN 978-0-9589436-7-3 page 271
  9. ↑ A.G.Floyd (1990). Australian Rainforests of New South Wales volume 2. p. 142. ISBN 0-949324-32-9.
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