Myxomycetes (slime moulds) of arid to semi-arid areas of northwest New South Wales, Australia

  • Myxomycetes (plasmodial slime moulds) were studied along an east-west traverse extending across the arid and semi-arid zones in northwest New South Wales bounded by Lake Cargelligo (400 mm annual rainfall), Bourke (400 mm annual rainfall), Tibooburra (200 mm annual rainfall) and Menindee (250 mm annual rainfall). Samples of tree bark were collected from a range of trees, and subsequently myxomycetes were obtained in the laboratory with the use of the moist culture method. A total of 43 species were recognized. The assemblages of myxomycetes recorded did not change significantly across these climate zones, and, for samples with a reasonable number of species present, there was little difference in diversity due to tree-bark type. The assemblage of species present along this traverse is similar to arid and semi-arid zone tree bark assemblages elsewhere in Australia, which is consistent with the occurrence of one assemblage throughout. About half of this assemblage consists of widely distributed species likely to be recorded anywhere in the world (cosmopolitan), although these species are found in relatively few samples. The other half of the assemblage is made up of species with a more restricted distribution (generally found in one region of the world or relatively rare worldwide); these species were found in most samples. These restricted distribution species have centres of distribution at a similar latitude and climate in the northern hemisphere. The assemblage of species associated with bark in the higher rainfall areas of Australia has some of the species of the arid and semi-arid zones; it has most of the widely distributed species and very few of the restricted distribution species. The boundary zone between the two assemblages of species is likely to be near the outer margin of the semiarid zone.

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Metadaten
Author:Peter Wellman
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-514398
DOI:https://doi.org/doi:10.7751/cunninghamia.2015.15.008
ISSN:0727- 9620
ISSN:2200 - 405X
Parent Title (English):Cunninghamia : a journal of plant ecology for eastern Australia
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of Completion:2015
Date of first Publication:2015/09/24
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2019/10/18
Volume:15
Page Number:10
First Page:153
Last Page:162
HeBIS-PPN:455376387
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 58 Pflanzen (Botanik) / 580 Pflanzen (Botanik)
Sammlungen:Sammlung Biologie / Sondersammelgebiets-Volltexte
Zeitschriften / Jahresberichte:Cunninghamia : A Journal of Plant Ecology for Eastern Australia / Cunninghamia : A Journal of Plant Ecology for Eastern Australia, Volume 15 (2015)
:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-514293
Licence (German):License LogoDeutsches Urheberrecht