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Author: Soe, Paing × End date: 2014 × Start date: 2010 × Subject: Species distribution models × Subject: Victoria ×

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    The distribution of Eucalypts in north-western Victoria: modeling the influence of functional traits along environmental gradients
    Soe, Paing ( 2013)
    Understanding how functional traits influence species distributions along environmental gradients provides insight into plant ecological strategies for survival and reproduction. Here I examine how traits influence eucalypt distributions along environmental gradients. I use a species distribution model that incorporates Eucalyptus plant traits to understand their distributions in the mallee region of north-western Victoria. I examined the trait-environment interactions using the leaf-height-seed plant ecology strategy scheme (specific leaf area, height at maturity and seed mass) with 15 Eucalyptus taxa. The results show that all three traits influence species responses to environmental variables. Generally, traits influenced species responses to variables that are surrogates for water availability. Species with high specific leaf area increased in predicted occurrence along water availability gradients (rainfall in July, topographic wetness index, vertical distance to streams and soil properties). Tall species respond positively to soil nutrient gradients (soil radiometric Potassium measures and topographic wetness index) and water availability gradients (vertical distance to streams, topographic wetness index) except rainfall. Species with large seeds respond positively to sandy soils, which may reflect a response to either soil water or nutrient availability. Some of the trait-environment interactions in the mallee stay consistent with those of previous regional and global studies of traits (e.g. species responses of SLA to rainfall) and some turn out to be different (e.g. tall species' lack of response to rainfall). The trends that differ from other studies may highlight the particular properties of the ecosystem of the study area or result from use of different environmental variables. These results may have implications such as informing conservation efforts aimed at preserving functional diversity or assessing suitability for new plantation sites.