The rapid expansion of urban areas worldwide is leading to native habitat loss and ecosystem fragmentation and degradation. Although the study of urbanisation’s impact on biodiversity is gaining increasing interest globally, there is still a disconnect between research recommendations and urbanisation strategies. Expansion of the Perth metropolitan area on the Swan Coastal Plain in south-western Australia, one of the world’s thirty-six biodiversity hotspots, continues to affect the Banksia Woodlands (BWs) ecosystem, a federally listed Threatened Ecological Community (TEC). Here, we utilise the framework of a 1989 review of the state of knowledge of BWs ecology and conservation to examine scientific advances made in understanding the composition, processes and functions of BWs and BWs’ species over the last 30 years. We highlight key advances in our understanding of the ecological function and role of mechanisms in BWs that are critical to the management of this ecosystem. The most encouraging change since 1989 is the integration of research between historically disparate ecological disciplines. We outline remaining ecological knowledge gaps and identify key research priorities to improve conservation efforts for this TEC. We promote a holistic consideration of BWs with our review providing a comprehensive document that researchers, planners and managers may reference. To effectively conserve ecosystems threatened by urban expansion, a range of stakeholders must be involved in the development and implementation of best practices to conserve and maintain both biodiversity and human wellbeing.

Background and Aims In plants, the spatial and genetic distance between mates can influence reproductive success and offspring fitness. Negative fitness consequences associated with the extremes of inbreeding and outbreeding suggest that there will be an intermediate optimal outcrossing distance (OOD), the scale and drivers of which remain poorly understood. In the bird-pollinated Anigozanthos manglesii (Haemodoraceae) we tested (1) for the presence of within-population OOD, (2) over what scale it occurs, and (3) for OOD under biologically realistic scenarios of multi-donor deposition associated with pollination by nectar-feeding birds. Methods We measured the impact of mate distance (spatial and genetic) on seed set, fruit size, seed mass, seed viability and germination success following hand pollination from (1) single donors across 0 m (self), <1 m, 1–3 m, 7–15 m and 50 m, and (2) a mix of eight donors. Microsatellite loci were used to quantify spatial genetic structure and test for the presence of an OOD by paternity assignment after multi-donor deposition. Key results Inter-mate distance had a significant impact on single-donor reproductive success, with selfed and nearest-neighbour (<1 m) pollination resulting in only ~50 seeds per fruit, lower overall germination success and slower germination. Seed set was greatest for inter-mate distance of 1–3 m (148 seeds per fruit), thereafter plateauing at ~100 seeds per fruit. Lower seed set following nearest-neighbour mating was associated with significant spatial genetic autocorrelation at this scale. Paternal success following pollination with multiple sires showed a significantly negative association with increasing distance between mates. Conclusions Collectively, single- and multi-donor pollinations indicated evidence for a near-neighbour OOD within A. manglesii. A survey of the literature suggests that within-population OOD may be more characteristic of plants pollinated by birds than those pollinated by insects.

Premise of the study:Microsatellites were developed for the future assessment of population genetic structure, mating system, and dispersal of the perennial kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos manglesii (Haemodoraceae), and related species.Methods and Results:Using a Personal Genome Machine (PGM) semiconductor sequencer, ca. 4.03 million sequence reads were generated. QDD pipeline software was used to identify 190,000 microsatellite-containing regions and priming sites. From these, 90 were chosen and screened using PCR, and 15 polymorphic markers identified. These sites amplified di-, tri-, and pentanucleotide repeats with one to 20 alleles per locus. Primers were also amplified across congeners A. bicolor, A. flavidus, A. gabrielae, A. humilis, A. preissii, A. pulcherrimus, A. rufus, and A. viridis to assess cross-species transferability.Conclusions:These markers provide a resource for population genetic studies in A. manglesii and other species within the genus.