Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Nature 55(2) The IBISCA-Queensland Project © The State of Queensland (Queensland Museum) 2011 PO Box 3300, South Brisbane 4101, Australia Phone 06 7 3840 7555 Fax 06 7 3846 1226 Email [email protected] Website www.qm.qld.gov.au National Library of Australia card number ISSN 0079-8835 NOTE Papers published in this volume and in all previous volumes of the Memoirs of the Queensland Museum may be reproduced for scientific research, individual study or other educational purposes. Properly acknowledged quotations may be made but queries regarding the republication of any papers should be addressed to the Editor in Chief. Copies of the journal can be purchased from the Queensland Museum Shop. A Guide to Authors is displayed at the Queensland Museum web site A Queensland Government Project Typeset at the Queensland Museum Subtropical rainforest turnover along an altitudinal gradient Melinda J. LAIDLAW Queensland Herbarium, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sciences, Department of Environment and Resource Management, Toowong, Qld 4066, Australia. Email: [email protected] William J.F. MCDONALD Queensland Herbarium, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sciences, Department of Environment and Resource Management, Toowong, Qld 4066, Australia. R. John HUNTER Lowanna, NSW 2450, Australia. Roger L. KITCHING Environmental Futures Centre and Griffith School of the Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia. Citation: Laidlaw, M.J., McDonald, W.J.F., Hunter, J.R. & Kitching, R.L. 2011 12 20: Subtropical rainforest turnover along an altitudinal gradient. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature 55(2): 271-290. Brisbane. ISSN 0079-8835. ABSTRACT The rainforests of south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales are highly diverse and floristically and structurally complex. This diversity is due, in part, to regional variation in soil and parent geology, climate and topography. Patterns in regional species composition were investigated along an altitudinal transect from 300 to 1100 m elevation in Lamington National Park, south-east Queensland. This study also relates subtropical rainforest composition to soil variables and to the environmental correlates of altitude, namely temperature and moisture. Twenty-nine climatic and nine soil variables were correlated with floristic variation between altitudes. Twelve species groups were also identified from the 282 vascular plant species recorded along the transect. These baseline data will form the benchmark against which future changes in the forest can be monitored. The use of adjacent altitudes as surrogates for adjacent climates can also provide a useful insight into the potential impacts of a changing climate. altitudinal gradient, climate change, compositional turnover, subtropical rainforest, surrogacy. The subtropical rainforests of south-east allowed the persistence of primitive plant families Queensland and northern New South Wales (Winteraceae, Eupomatiaceae, Annonaceae, are a living link to our botanical past. They Trimeniaceae, Monimiaceae, Atherospermataceae support subtropical through to cool temperate and Lauraceae) which have undergone little biota and have done so throughout the climatic evolutionary change since Gondwanan times fluctuations of the Late Tertiary and Quaternary (McDonald 2010; Floyd 1990a). These rainforests (Adam 1987). This continuity of climate has also host 42 genera of primitive angiosperms and Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Nature 2011 55(2) www.qm.qld.gov.au 271 Laidlaw et al. gymnosperms (Floyd 2008), relictual and endemic type can grade into ANVF on steep slopes species, as well as rare and threatened flora and on drier aspects (McDonald & Whiteman (McDonald 2010). 1979). Cool subtropical CNVF/RE 12.8.5 gen- erally occurs at altitudes above 600–700 m, Subtropical rainforest is particularly well although a broad ecotone of high floristic represented in Australia and extends from diversity between these two subtypes can occur approximately 21º–35° latitude (based on (Laidlaw et al. 2000). All forms of CNVF support the prominence of notophyll and microphyll robust and woody lianes, a diverse community canopy leaves) (Webb 1959). These forests have of vascular epiphytes, canopy species with been described and classified under various plank buttresses and compound, entire leaves, schemes at both continental (Webb 1978, 1968, as well as other life forms such as palms and 1959) and state levels (Sattler & Williams 1999; climbing aroids (Pothos longipes) (Webb 1959). Baur 1964). Lamington National Park supports several structural types of rainforest, three Microphyll Fern Forest (MFF) (Webb 1978)/ of which were examined in this study and RE 12.8.6 (Sattler & Williams 1999)/Cool temp- described below. The approximate equivalents erate rainforest (Floyd 1990b; Baur 1964). MFF between classification schemes are also occurs on the high plateaus and mountain included below. tops at altitudes over 1000 m. Rainfall at this altitude is supplemented by the interception Araucarian Complex Notophyll Vine Forest (ANVF) of water from clouds that occur frequently (Webb 1978, 1968, 1959)/Qld Regional Eco- with onshore winds (Floyd 2008). This forest system (RE) 12.8.4 (Sattler & Williams 1999)/Dry is typically dominated by Nothofagus moorei rainforest (Floyd 1990b; Baur 1964). This structural (Nothofagaceae), a species whose extent has form occurs on basalt soils on the northern and contracted and moved south and upslope, along western slopes of the Lamington Plateau and with cold and wet microclimates (Hopkins et al. on shallow rocky soils on steep slopes. ANVF 1976; Webb 1964). These forests are without plank is a subtype of the more extensive complex buttress forming species or woody lianes. notophyll vine forest (CNVF) dominant in the Instead, they support prolific mossy epiphytes, region. It differs from other forms of CNVF tree and ground ferns and tree species with simple, in supporting emergent hoop pine, Araucaria toothed leaves (McDonald & Whiteman 1979). cunninghamii. This structural type is tolerant not only of a lower annual rainfall, but a The distribution of these three structural types marked dry season between spring and early of rainforest at Lamington National Park are summer (McDonald & Whiteman 1979). known to be correlated with the environmental features of topography (particularly aspect), Complex Notophyll Vine Forest (CNVF) (Webb climate, soil nutrient status, soil depth and 1978, 1968, 1959)/RE 12.8.3 and 12.8.5 (Sattler moisture content (Adam 1987; Hopkins et & Williams 1999)/Subtropical rainforest (Floyd al. 1976; Webb 1969, 1968). The response of 1990b; Baur 1964). CNVF occurs on basalt soils species groups to these environmental variables and Lamington National Park supports some of is complex and interactions between them the most extensive and best developed stands are likely (Adam 1987). It can be very difficult of this rainforest type in the region. It is both to attribute rainforest distribution to any floristically and structurally complex. There are one factor, however, general trends can be two broad subtypes, the distributions of which identified. Broadly speaking, CNVF (and are associated with altitude. Warm subtropical subtypes) occur in a mesothermal environment CNVF/RE 12.8.3, generally occurs below 600– with annual mean maximum temperatures of 18– 700 m a.s.l., particularly in valleys. This forest 22°C and an annual mean minimum of 5°C. By 272 Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Nature 2011 55(2) Subtropical rainforest turnover comparison, MFF is found in a microthermal differential weathering of these strata for 20 environment with an optimum annual mean million years (Willmott 1992). Basalts generally maximum temperature of 10-12°C and an weather to red krasnozem soils which are fine annual mean minimum of 0°C (Floyd 1990a; textured with a high water holding capacity, Adam 1987). Such microthermal conditions in acidic and low in soil nutrients, except for those the study region are restricted to altitudes over stored in the surface horizons (Beckmann & 1000 m and to elevated gullies, where cold air Thompson 1976). Subtle differences in basalt drainage allows the downslope extension of chemical composition, differential weathering these conditions. The downslope extension of characters and age of weathering surfaces, in MFF, under appropriate moisture regimes, is conjunction with varied topography and the likely restricted by either intolerance of higher resulting microclimate has resulted in a wide temperatures (Fraser & Vickery 1939), or by the variety of soil types even on this one geology superior competitive ability of CNVF species (Beckmann & Thompson 1976). The multiple (Dolman 1982). The upslope extension of CNVF basalt flows and their subsequent weathering is restricted by its susceptibility to frost events has also resulted in step and bench sequences tolerated by species such as Nothofagus moorei down the slopes (Turner 1976) and associated (Adam 1987; Dolman 1982). variations in soil depth. The moisture regime is a result of the complex According to Webb (1959), edaphic factors can interaction between precipitation, aspect, slope, be just as important in determining community soil parent material and soil depth (Adam composition and distribution as climatic var- 1987). ANVF occurs where annual rainfall iables. However, this is a complex interaction ranges between 660–1100 mm, CNVF is found and equally for some structural types, edaphic where it exceeds