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Item Open Access Reconstructing colonization dynamics to establish how human activities transformed island biodiversity(Springer Nature, 2024) Tomlinson, S.; Lomolino, M.V.; Anderson, A.; Austin, J.J.; Brown, S.C.; Haythorne, S.; Perry, G.L.W.; Wilmshurst, J.M.; Wood, J.R.; Fordham, D.A.Drivers and dynamics of initial human migrations across individual islands and archipelagos are poorly understood, hampering assessments of subsequent modification of island biodiversity. We developed and tested a new statistical-simulation approach for reconstructing the pattern and pace of human migration across islands at high spatiotemporal resolutions. Using Polynesian colonisation of New Zealand as an example, we show that process-explicit models, informed by archaeological records and spatiotemporal reconstructions of past climates and environments, can provide new and important insights into the patterns and mechanisms of arrival and establishment of people on islands. We find that colonisation of New Zealand required there to have been a single founding population of approximately 500 people, arriving between 1233 and 1257 AD, settling multiple areas, and expanding rapidly over both North and South Islands. These verified spatiotemporal reconstructions of colonisation dynamics provide new opportunities to explore more extensively the potential ecological impacts of human colonisation on New Zealand’s native biota and ecosystems.Item Metadata only Build it and some may come: early stage habitat restoration may initially favour herbivore return(CSIRO Publishing, 2023) Cross, S.; Tomlinson, S.; Craig, M.; Bateman, P.; Doherty, T.Context. Rates of habitat destruction are increasing globally, and recent years have seen a growing focus on returning lands degraded through anthropogenic activities to functional and sustainable ecosystems. Animals provide a range of services critical to healthy ecosystems, yet in assessments of restoration progress they are often assumed to return passively following the reinstatement of native flora and vegetation. Aims and methods. We used remote sensing camera traps to assess the impact of early stage habitat restoration on the structure and diversity of fauna communities on a mine site in the Mid West region of Western Australia. We aimed to assess whether early stage habitat restoration supports animal communities with similar diversity and community structure (foraging guilds) to those found in reference, unmined vegetation. Key results. Although early stage habitat restoration facilitated the establishment of animal communities with similar diversity to that of the reference vegetation; the foraging guilds using restoration vegetation differed significantly from those in the reference vegetation. Early stage restoration was particularly attractive to herbivores but may lack some key resources, for example leaf litter, course woody debris, and appropriate refuge sites, necessary for the return of granivores, insectivores, and omnivores. Conclusions and implications. It is unlikely that early stage habitat restoration will support a similar species composition to established restoration, but it is crucial to monitor restoration along a trajectory to ensure efforts do not ultimately fail. Assessing the responses of fauna from a range of guilds and trophic levels is critical to determining whether habitat restoration is effectively returning functional and self-sustaining animal communities.Item Open Access Evolutionary transition from surface to subterranean living in Australian water beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) through adaptive and relaxed selection(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2024) Zhao, Y.; Guzik, M.; Humphreys, W.; Watts, C.; Cooper, S.; Sherratt, E.Over the last 5 million years, numerous species of Australian stygobiotic (subterranean and aquatic) beetles have evolved underground following independent colonisation of aquifers by surface ancestors, providing a set of repeated evolutionary transitions from surface to subterranean life. We used this system as an ‘evolutionary experiment’ to investigate whether relaxed selection has provided a source of variability for adaptive radiations into ecosystems containing open niches and whether this variability underpins phenotypic evolution in cave animals. Linear and landmark-based measurements were used to quantify the morphology of subterranean species from different aquifers, compared to interstitial and closely related aquatic surface species. Subterranean dytiscids were observed to be morphologically distinct, suggesting they have a different lifestyle compared to their surface relatives. However, the variation in the measured traits was much greater in the subterranean species, and unstructured, showing no evidence of clustering that would indicate adaptation to specific niches. Furthermore, a previously identified pattern of repeated non-overlapping size variation in beetles across aquifers was not correlated with repeated body shape evolution. The observed variability across body shape and limb traits provides support for the hypothesis that relaxed selection and neutral evolution underlie the phenotypic evolution in these species.Item Open Access Population genomic diversity and structure in the golden bandicoot: a history of isolation, extirpation, and conservation(Springer Nature, 2023) Rick, K.; Byrne, M.; Cameron, S.; Cooper, S.J.B.; Dunlop, J.; Hill, B.; Lohr, C.; Mitchell, N.J.; Moritz, C.; Travouillon, K.J.; von Takach, B.; Ottewell, K.Using genetic information to develop and implement conservation programs is vital for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Evaluation of the genetic variability within and among remnant populations can inform management of both natural and translocated populations to maximise species' adaptive potential, mitigate negative impacts of inbreeding, and subsequently minimise risk of extinction. Here we use reduced representation sequencing to undertake a genetic assessment of the golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus), a threatened marsupial endemic to Australia. The currently recognised taxon consists of three subspecies distributed among multiple natural and translocated populations. After confirming the genetic distinctiveness of I. auratus from two closely related taxa, I. fusciventer and I. macrourus, we identified four genetic clusters within I. auratus. These clusters exhibited substantial genetic differentiation (pairwise FST values ranging from 0.18 to 0.65, pairwise DXY ranging from 0.1 to 0.168), reflecting long-term isolation of some populations on offshore islands and the influence of genetic drift. Mainland natural populations in the Kimberley region had the highest genetic diversity and the largest contribution to overall allelic and gene diversity compared to both natural and translocated island populations. A population translocated to Guluwuru Island in the Northern Territory had the lowest genetic diversity. Our data suggest that island populations can appear genetically unique due to genetic drift and this needs to be taken into account when considering genetic diversity in conservation efforts to maintain overall genetic diversity of the species. We effectively demonstrate how genomic information can guide practical conservation planning, especially when declining species are represented by multiple isolated populations.Item Open Access Allelic bias when performing in-solution enrichment of ancient human DNA(Wiley, 2023) Davidson, R.; Williams, M.P.; Roca-Rada, X.; Kassadjikova, K.; Tobler, R.; Fehren-Schmitz, L.; Llamas, B.In-solution hybridisation enrichment of genetic variation is a valuable methodology in human paleogenomics. It allows enrichment of endogenous DNA by targeting genetic markers that are comparable between sequencing libraries. Many studies have used the 1240k reagent-which enriches 1,237,207 genome-wide SNPs-since 2015, though access was restricted. In 2021, Twist Biosciences and Daicel Arbor Biosciences independently released commercial kits that enabled all researchers to perform enrichments for the same 1240 k SNPs. We used the Daicel Arbor Biosciences Prime Plus kit to enrich 132 ancient samples from three continents. We identified a systematic assay bias that increases genetic similarity between enriched samples and that cannot be explained by batch effects. We present the impact of the bias on population genetics inferences (e.g. Principal Components Analysis, ƒ-statistics) and genetic relatedness (READ). We compare the Prime Plus bias to that previously reported of the legacy 1240k enrichment assay. In ƒ-statistics, we find that all Prime-Plus-generated data exhibit artefactual excess shared drift, such that within-continent relationships cannot be correctly determined. The bias is more subtle in READ, though interpretation of the results can still be misleading in specific contexts. We expect the bias may affect analyses we have not yet tested. Our observations support previously reported concerns for the integration of different data types in paleogenomics. We also caution that technological solutions to generate 1240k data necessitate a thorough validation process before their adoption in the paleogenomic community.Item Open Access Climate-driven ‘species-on-the-move’ provide tangible anchors to engage the public on climate change(Wiley, 2023) Pecl, G.T.; Kelly, R.; Lucas, C.; van Putten, I.; Badhe, R.; Champion, C.; Chen, I.C.; Defeo, O.; Gaitan-Espitia, J.D.; Evengård, B.; Fordham, D.A.; Guo, F.; Henriques, R.; Henry, S.; Lenoir, J.; McGhie, H.; Mustonen, T.; Oliver, S.; Pettorelli, N.; Pinsky, M.L.; et al.1. Over recent decades, our understanding of climate change has accelerated greatly, but unfortunately, observable impacts have increased in tandem. Both mitigation and adaptation have not progressed at the level or scale warranted by our collective knowledge on climate change. More effective approaches to engage people on current and future anthropogenic climate change effects are urgently needed. 2. Here, we show how species whose distributions are shifting in response to climate change, that is, ‘species-on-the-move’, present an opportunity to engage people with climate change by linking to human values, and our deep connections with the places in which we live, in a locally relevant yet globally coherent narrative. 3. Species-on-the-move can impact ecosystem structure and function, food security, human health, livelihoods, culture and even the climate itself through feedback to the climate system, presenting a wide variety of potential pathways for people to understand that climate change affects them personally as individuals. 4. Citizen science focussed on documenting changes in biodiversity is one approach to foster a deeper engagement on climate change. However, other possible avenues, which may offer potential to engage people currently unconnected with nature, include arts, games or collaborations with rural agriculture (e.g. new occurrences of pest species) or fisheries organisations (e.g. shifting stocks) or healthcare providers (e.g. changing distributions of disease vectors). 5. Through the importance we place on the aspects of life impacted by the redistribution of species around us, species-on-the-move offer emotional pathways to connect with people on the complex issue of climate change in profound ways that have the potential to engender interest and action on climate change.Item Open Access The role of incentive mechanisms in promoting forest restoration(The Royal Society Publishing, 2023) Tedesco, A.M.; Brancalion, P.H.S.; Hepburn, M.L.H.; Walji, K.; Wilson, K.A.; Possingham, H.P.; Dean, A.J.; Nugent, N.; Elias-Trostmann, K.; Perez-Hammerle, K.V.; Rhodes, J.R.Forest restoration has been proposed as a scalable nature-based solution to achieve global environmental and socio-economic outcomes and is central to many policy initiatives, such as the Bonn Challenge. Restored forests contain appreciable biodiversity, improve habitat connectivity and sequester carbon. Incentive mechanisms (e.g. payments for ecosystem services and allocation of management rights) have been a focus of forest restoration efforts for decades. Yet, there is still little understanding of their role in promoting restoration success. We conducted a systematic literature review to investigate how incentive mechanisms are used to promote forest restoration, outcomes, and the biophysical and socio-economic factors that influence implementation and program success. We found that socio-economic factors, such as governance, monitoring systems and the experience and beliefs of participants, dominate whether or not an incentive mechanism is successful. We found that approximately half of the studies report both positive ecological and socio-economic outcomes. However, reported adverse outcomes were more commonly socio-economic than ecological. Our results reveal that achieving forest restoration at a sufficient scale to meet international commitments will require stronger assessment and management of socio-economic factors that enable or constrain the success of incentive mechanisms. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’.Item Open Access Innate response to first feeding in Octopus berrima hatchlings despite embryonic food imprinting(Brill, 2023) Hua, Q.Q.H.; Nande, M.; Doubleday, Z.A.; Gillanders, B.M.Food imprinting has both ecological and evolutionary significance but the generality of these patterns for octopods remains unknown. We aim to determine the prey preference of Octopus berrima hatchlings and whether it may be modified through imprinting. Firstly, hatchlings were given isopods, amphipods and mussels to determine their prey preference ranking. In a separate experiment, embryos were exposed to the visual and chemical stimuli of either isopods, amphipods or mussels separately at least a week before hatching. A prey preference test on hatchlings using all three prey types was conducted. We found that O. berrima had a preference ranking of isopods > amphipods > mussels. However, they retained their isopod prey preference regardless of the prey type they were embryonically exposed to, indicating that it is likely pre-determined as a result of innate biological processes rather than from life experience, providing evidence that imprinting does not occur in O. berrima.Item Metadata only A key to Ptilotus (Amaranthaceae) in Western Australia(Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 2018) Hammer, T.A.; Davis, R.W.; Thiele, K.R.Ptilotus R.Br. (Amaranthaceae) is a genus of approximately 120 species, all of which are native to continental Australia and with most of the diversity occurring in Western Australia (Hammer et al. 2015). The key presented here for 96 Western Australian taxa is a continuation of on-going work to produce an Australia-wide key for Ptilotus by the authors, which was originally presented on KeyBase (available at http://keybase.rbg.vic.gov.au/keys/show/6609, accessed 16 August 2018; previously mentioned in Hammer & Davis 2018). The Western Australian key was constructed by examining specimens lodged at the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH) and includes all of the 93 named species now recognised (i.e. excluding P. petiolatus Farmar and including P. unguiculatus T.Hammer; see Hammer 2018). The subspecies of P. polakii F.Muell., P. sericostachyus (Nees) F.Muell. and P. stirlingii (Lindl.) F.Muell. are also included in the key. However, the infraspecific taxa of P. drummondii (Moq.) F.Muell., P. obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. and P. schwartzii (F.Muell.) Tate, currently recognised on the plant census for Western Australia, were excluded pending on-going studies into their taxonomic status. Also excluded from the key are the phrase names P. sp. Beaufort River (G.J. Keighery 16554), P. sp. Mt Narryer (A.S. George 17484) and P. sp. Porongorup (R. Davis 10805), which are in need of further study.Item Open Access Description of Hibbertia hesperia (Dilleniaceae), a new species from the Kimberley region, and a new regional key to species(2023) Hammer, T.As part of forthcoming treatments for the Flora of Australia, available specimens of Hibbertia from the Kimberley, Western Australia, were examined. Among these was a specimen from Sale River that was clearly separable from all other species in the genus. This specimen is compared to its presumed close relatives and formally described here as H. hesperia T.Hammer. An identification key to all Hibbertia taxa currently known to occur in the Kimberley is presented.Item Open Access Pilbarana, a new subterranean amphipod genus (Hadzioidea: Eriopisidae) of environmental assessment importance from the Pilbara, Western Australia(Magnolia Press, 2022) STRINGER, D.N.; KING, R.A.; AUSTIN, A.D.; GUZIK, M.T.The Pilbara and nearby regions in north-western Western Australia have an exceptionally high diversity of short-range endemic invertebrates inhabiting threatened groundwater-dependent habitats. Amphipod crustaceans, in particular, are dominant in these communities, but are poorly understood taxonomically, with many undescribed species. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses of Pilbara eriopisid amphipods have, nonetheless, uncovered a previously unknown biodiversity. In this study, we formally establish a new genus, Pilbarana Stringer & King gen. nov., and describe two new species, P. grandis Stringer & King sp. nov. from Cane River Conservation Park and P. lowryi Stringer & King sp. nov. from the Fortescue River Basin near the Hamersley Range, using a combination of molecular and morphological data. The new genus is similar morphologically to the two additional Western Australian eriopisid genera, Nedsia Barnard & Williams, 1995 and Norcapensis Bradbury & Williams, 1997, but represents a genetically divergent, reciprocally monophyletic lineage, which can be differentiated by its vermiform body shape, the presence of an antennal sinus, and by the length and form of the antennae and uropods. This research signifies an important contribution to knowledge of Pilbara subterranean communities and has critical implications for future environmental impact assessments and conservation management.Item Open Access Range and extinction dynamics of the steppe bison in Siberia: A pattern‐oriented modelling approach(Wiley, 2022) Pilowsky, J.A.; Haythorne, S.; Brown, S.C.; Krapp, M.; Armstrong, E.; Brook, B.W.; Rahbek, C.; Fordham, D.A.Aim: To determine the ecological processes and drivers of range collapse, population decline and eventual extinction of the steppe bison in Eurasia. Location: Siberia. Time period: Pleistocene and Holocene. Major taxa studied: Steppe bison (Bison priscus). Methods: We configured 110,000 spatially explicit population models (SEPMs) of climate–human– steppe bison interactions in Siberia, which we ran at generational time steps from 50,000 years before present. We used pattern-oriented modelling (POM) and fossil-based inferences of distribution and demographic change of steppe bison to identify which SEPMs adequately simulated important interactions between ecological processes and biological threats. These “best models” were then used to disentangle the mechanisms that were integral in the population decline and later extinction of the steppe bison in its last stronghold in Eurasia. Results: Our continuous reconstructions of the range and extinction dynamics of steppe bison were able to reconcile inferences of spatio-temporal occurrence and the timing and location of extinction in Siberia based on hundreds of radiocarbon-dated steppe bison fossils. We showed that simulating the ecological pathway to extinction for steppe bison in Siberia in the early Holocene required very specific ecological niche constraints, demographic processes and a constrained synergy of climate and human hunting dynamics during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Main conclusions: Ecological processes and drivers that caused ancient population declines of species can be reconstructed at high spatio-temporal resolutions using SEPMs and POM. Using this approach, we found that climatic change and hunting by humans are likely to have interacted with key ecological processes to cause the extinction of the steppe bison in its last refuge in Eurasia.Item Open Access Simulations of human migration into North America are more sensitive to demography than choice of palaeoclimate model(Elsevier BV, 2022) Pilowsky, J.A.; Manica, A.; Brown, S.; Rahbek, C.; Fordham, D.A.Reconstructions of the spatiotemporal dynamics of human dispersal away from evolutionary origins in Africa are important for determining the ecological consequences of the arrival of anatomically modern humans in naïve landscapes and interpreting inferences from ancient genomes on indigenous population history. While efforts have been made to independently validate these projections against the archaeological record and contemporary measures of genetic diversity, there has been no comprehensive assessment of how parameter values and choice of palaeoclimate model affect projections of early human migration. We simulated human migration into North America with a process-explicit migration model using simulated palaeoclimate data from two different atmosphere-ocean general circulation models and did a sensitivity analysis on the outputs using a machine learning algorithm. We found that simulated human migration into North America was more sensitive to uncertainty in demographic parameters than choice of atmosphere-ocean general circulation model used for simulating climate-human interactions. Our findings indicate that the accuracy of process-explicit human migration models will be improved with further research on the population dynamics of ancient humans, and that uncertainties in model parameters must be considered in estimates of the timing and rate of human colonisation and their consequence on biodiversity.Item Open Access Soundscape enrichment enhances recruitment and habitat building on new oyster reef restorations(Wiley, 2022) McAfee, D.; Williams, B.R.; McLeod, L.; Reuter, A.; Wheaton, Z.; Connell, S.D.1. Marine soundscapes provide important navigational cues to dispersing larvae in search of suitable habitat. Yet, widespread habitat loss has degraded marine soundscapes and their functional role in recruitment. Habitat restoration efforts can provide suitable substrate for habitat regeneration, such as constructing reefs to facilitate recruitment and habitat growth by oysters, but typically occur where soundscapes are degraded and recruitment is limited. Enhancing marine soundscapes on newly constructed reefs using speaker technology may ensure sufficient recruitment to establish a trajectory of recovery for the desired habitat. 2. Across two of the largest oyster reef restorations in Australia, we deployed low-cost marine speakers at four sites and at three times throughout the recruitment season to test whether soundscape enrichment could boost recruitment and habitat formation by oysters. In the presence and absence of soundscape playback, we compared oyster recruitment rates to settlement panels across space and time, and oyster habitat cover and three-dimensional habitat building on newly constructed boulder reefs. 3. On the settlement panels deployed across the two reef restorations, soundscape playback significantly increased oyster recruitment at 8 of the 10 sites by an average (±1 SE) 5.1 ± 1.9 times (5281 ± 1384 more larvae per m2), and by as much as 18 times. 4. On boulders atop newly constructed reefs, where the restoration goal is for oysters to form three-dimensional habitat, the surface area covered by oysters after 5 months did not differ between speaker and control treatments. However, soundscape playback appeared to influence the earlier recruitment of oysters, resulting in significantly more large oysters per boulder that formed significantly more three-dimensional habitat building by an average 4.3 ± 1.2 times relative to nonspeaker controls. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our results show that using speakers to enrich marine soundscapes at new restoration sites can boost oyster recruitment, resulting in more larger oysters that form more three-dimensional habitat atop reef restorations. In accelerating the formation of these vertical growth forms, which provide the ecological functions that motivate restoration efforts, the early application of speaker technology on new reef restorations may help steer ecological succession on a trajectory of desired habitat recovery, potentially reducing the substantial cost of ongoing intervention.Item Open Access Ocean acidification drives global reshuffling of ecological communities(Wiley, 2022) Nagelkerken, I.; Connell, S.D.The paradigm that climate change will alter global marine biodiversity is one of the most widely accepted. Yet, its predictions remain difficult to test because laboratory systems are inadequate at incorporating ecological complexity, and common biodiversity metrics have varying sensitivity to detect change. Here, we test for the prevalence of global responses in biodiversity and community-level change to future climate (acidification and warming) from studies at volcanic CO2 vents across four major global coastal ecosystems and studies in laboratory mesocosms. We detected globally replicable patterns of species replacements and community reshuffling under ocean acidification in major natural ecosystems, yet species diversity and other common biodiversity metrics were often insensitive to detect such community change, even under significant habitat loss. Where there was a lack of consistent patterns of biodiversity change, these were a function of similar numbers of studies observing negative versus positive species responses to climate stress. Laboratory studies showed weaker sensitivity to detect species replacements and community reshuffling in general. We conclude that common biodiversity metrics can be insensitive in revealing the anticipated effects of climate stress on biodiversity—even under significant biogenic habitat loss—and can mask widespread reshuffling of ecological communities in a future ocean. Although the influence of ocean acidification on community restructuring can be less evident than species loss, such changes can drive the dynamics of ecosystem stability or their functional change. Importantly, species identity matters, representing a substantial influence of future oceans.Item Open Access The critical thermal maximum of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae): a comparison of subterranean and surface-dwelling species(Elsevier BV, 2021) Jones, K.K.; Humphreys, W.F.; Saccò, M.; Bertozzi, T.; Austin, A.D.; Cooper, S.J.B.Thermal tolerance limits in animals are often thought to be related to temperature and thermal variation in their environment. Recently, there has been a focus on studying upper thermal limits due to the likelihood for climate change to expose more animals to higher temperatures and potentially extinction. Organisms living in under- ground environments experience reduced temperatures and thermal variation in comparison to species living in surface habitats, but how these impact their thermal tolerance limits are unclear. In this study, we compare the thermal critical maximum (CTmax) of two subterranean diving beetles (Dytiscidae) to that of three related surface-dwelling species. Our results show that subterranean species have a lower CTmax (38.3-39.0°C) than surface species (42.0-44.5°C). The CTmax of subterranean species is ∼10°C higher than the highest temperature recorded within the aquifer. Groundwater temperature varied between 18.4°C and 28.8°C, and changes with time, depth and distance across the aquifer. Seasonal temperature fluctuations were 0.5°C at a single point, with the maximum heating rate being ∼1000x lower (0.008°C/hour) than that recorded in surface habitats (7.98°C/hour). For surface species, CTmax was 7-10°C higher than the maximum temperature in their habitats, with daily fluc- tuations from ∼1°C to 16°C and extremes of 6.9°C and 34.9°C. These findings suggest that subterranean dytiscid beetles are unlikely to reach their CTmax with a predicted warming of 1.3-5.1°C in the region by 2090. However, the impacts of long-term elevated temperatures on fitness, different life stages and other species in the beetle’s trophic food web are unknown.Item Open Access Corrigendum to: Coarse-grained simulations of the effects of chain length, solvent quality, and chemical defects on the solution-phase morphology of MEH-PPV conjugated polymers(CSIRO Publishing, 2013) Chiu, M.; Kee, T.; Huang, D.A mesoscale coarse-grained model of the conjugated polymer poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) in implicit solvent is developed. The model is parametrized to reproduce the local structure and dynamics of an atomistic simulation model and accounts for the effects of solvent quality and saturation chemical defects on the polymer structure. Polymers with defect concentrations of 0 to 10 % are simulated using Langevin dynamics in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and in a model poor solvent for chain lengths and solution concentrations used experimentally. The polymer chains are extended in THF and collapse into compact structures in the poor solvent. The radius of gyration decreases with defect content in THF and agrees quantitatively with experiment. The structures formed in poor solvent by chains with 300 monomer units change from toroidal to cylindrical with increasing defect content, while chains containing 1000 monomers form cylinders regardless of defect content. These results have implications for energy transfer in MEH-PPV.Item Open Access Understanding the interplay of temperature and moisture on the germination niche to improve management of threatened species impacted by mining(Wiley, 2022) Rajapakshe, R.P.V.G.S.W.; Cross, A.T.; Turner, S.R.; Tomlinson, S.The return of vegetation to mined lands often requires broadcast seeding of diverse native seed mixes. However, seeds are highly adapted to germination windows with specific hydrothermal thresholds that maximize the likelihood of seedling survival, and post-mining landscapes typically offer markedly different hydrothermal conditions than pre-disturbance ecosystems. According to niche theory, generalist species should exhibit broader hydrothermal performance niches than specialist taxa, which may influence the success of recruitment from seeds in post-mining ecological restoration. To test this assumption, the impact of hydrothermal stress (incubation temperature (10–30°C) and osmotic potential (—0.8 to 0 MPa)) on the time to 50% germination (t₅₀) and maximum germination (Gmax) was compared between two narrow-range species of conservation concern (Acacia woodmaniorum and A. karina) restricted to mining-impacted Banded Ironstone Formations (BIF) and three broadly distributed congenerics (A. assimilis, A. exocarpoides, and A. ramulosa). The hydrothermal germination niches of the study species were broadly congruent with hydrothermal conditions of their habitats. The two range-restricted taxa were more tolerant of hydrothermal stress com-pared to the three widely distributed taxa, suggesting that tolerance of greater hydrothermal stress by both range-restricted Acaciaspecies is likely to be adaptive to establishment in uncontested niche space. Complex interactions between thermal and water stress suggest these environmental gradients may shape the germination niche as well as patterns of plant diversity in BIF ecosystems. This study highlights the importance of quantifying interactions between niche dimensions and their implications for species performance, which will aid future restoration efforts for micro-endemic species impacted by mining.Item Open Access eDNA in subterranean ecosystems: Applications, technical aspects, and future prospects(Elsevier, 2022) Saccò, M.; Guzik, M.T.; van der Heyde, M.; Nevill, P.; Cooper, S.J.B.; Austin, A.D.; Coates, P.J.; Allentoft, M.E.; White, N.E.Monitoring of biota is pivotal for the assessment and conservation of ecosystems. Environments worldwide are being continuously and increasingly exposed to multiple adverse impacts, and the accuracy and reliability of the biomonitoring tools that can be employed shape not only the present, but more importantly, the future of entire habitats. The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding data provides a quick, affordable, and reliable molecular approach for biodiversity assessments. However, while extensively employed in aquatic and terrestrial surface environments, eDNA-based studies targeting subterranean ecosystems are still uncommon due to the lack of accessibility and the cryptic nature of these environments and their species. Recent advances in genetic and genomic analyses have established a promising framework for shedding new light on subterranean biodiversity and ecology. To address current knowledge and the future use of eDNA methods in groundwaters and caves, this review explores conceptual and technical aspects of the application and its potential in subterranean systems. We briefly introduce subterranean biota and describe the most used traditional sampling techniques. Next, eDNA characteristics, application, and limitations in the subsurface environment are outlined. Last, we provide suggestions on how to overcome caveats and delineate some of the research avenues that will likely shape this field in the near future. We advocate that eDNA analyses, when carefully conducted and ideally combined with conventional sampling techniques, will substantially increase understanding and enable crucial expansion of subterranean community characterisation. Given the importance of groundwater and cave ecosystems for nature and humans, eDNA can bring to the surface essential insights, such as study of ecosystem assemblages and rare species detection, which are critical for the preservation of life below, as well as above, the ground.Item Open Access Restoration seedbanks for mined land restoration(Wiley, 2022) Turner, S.R.; Cross, A.T.; Just, M.; Newton, V.; Pedrini, S.; Tomlinson, S.; Dixon, K.Restoration seedbanks have become a key infrastructure resource in efforts to restore damaged and degraded environments across the globe. Large-scale ecological restoration typically utilizes large volumes of valuable, usually wild-collected seeds, but insufficient knowledge of seed biology (including storage requirements in some cases) and ecology for many species continues to hamper the utility of restoration seed banks to meet this rising demand. Poor germination and establishment when seeds are deployed from seed banks can stem from factors such as premature seed collection, low seed quality, poor processing, handling and storage, variable seed quality from year to year, and, critically, insufficient understanding of seed dormancy, seed germination traits, and the ecological requirements for germination stimulation. While these factors may impact the success of seed-based ecological restoration both synergistically and idiosyncratically, they can be universally addressed by adopting best practice principles in seedbank management and operation and through an improved understanding of the seed biology and ecology of stored species. Drawing upon an industry case study in seed banking for post-mining ecological restoration, we outline how optimizing seed storage conditions and a focus on seed biology and ecology in the operation of a restoration seedbank can deliver broad and immediate benefit and cost-efficiency to native seed use. Such improvements are crucial in developing more effective approaches for returning biodiverse plant communities to highly modified landscapes and are foundational for meeting the aspirations for ecological restoration at global scales in the coming decade.