Demography of a Rare Endemic Myosotis: Boom and Bust in the High-Alpine Zone of Southern New Zealand

Stanley, R. J.; Dickinson, Katharine J. M.; Mark, A. F.

doi:10.2307/1551970

Cited by 10 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…f. M. oreophila is known from only one population of around 17 000 individuals, restricted to about 0.5 ha, and has been assessed as 'rare' or 'naturally uncommon' (Stanley et al 1998). M. cheesemanii, is a regional endemic, known only from the Dunstan Mountains and Pisa Range in the Central Otago Ecological Region, south-central New Zealand (McEwen 1988), and is listed among 26 'insufficiently known' taxa (in terms of population dynamics and/or distribution) by de Lange et al 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, M. pulvinaris is widespread on the interior mountains of southern New Zealand (Mark & Adams 1995). Where M. pulvinaris occurs sympatrically with M. oreophila on the Dunstan Mountains, there is a curious pattern where one of the species gradually increases in abundance as the other decreases (Stanley et al 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A 5-year study using permanent plots covering 290 m 2 (6.4% of the total M. oreophila population area: Stanley et al 1998) showed that the boundary of the population has been very stable on a scale of metres despite the species occupying a small section of apparently uniform high-alpine cushion-field (see fig. 2 in Stanley et al 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 in Stanley et al 1998). The abundance of bare soil and rock means that competition is probably of less importance than in most plant communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What limits a rare alpine plant species? Comparative demography of three endemic species of Myosotis (Boraginaceae)

et al. 2007

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Establishing what are the underlying causes of species range limits is of fundamental interest in ecology. We followed the fate of individually mapped plants of three endemic New Zealand high-alpine species of Myosotis, over a period of 9 years. The species provide contrasts in their geographical range and their demography. Myosotis oreophila Petrie is rare and extremely localized (c. 0.5 ha extent), Myosotis cheesemanii Petrie is regionally endemic, and Myosotis pulvinaris Hook. f. is more widespread. All three occur on the Dunstan Mountains, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand within a 1-km radius, and individual plants were followed in four permanent plots. The three species differed in their longevity and in population variability, with the most widespread species (M. pulvinaris) having the lowest survival (61% per year), the fewest old plants (only 3% of plants present in 1993 surviving until 2001), no increase in survival rates with age, and the most variability in total numbers across years. Both of the rare species, M. oreophila and M. cheesemanii, had higher survival (75% and 88%, respectively, per year) especially for older plants, many older plants (20% and 59%, respectively, of 1993 plants surviving until 2001), and lower variability in total numbers across years. These results are consistent with other studies showing that rare plant species tend to have higher inertia than more common congeners. The range limits of M. oreophila showed a high level of spatial constancy on a scale of metres over the 9 years, despite 80% turnover in plants during that time. The M. oreophila population showed lower mean densities of plants near to the population boundaries, identical age-specific survival rates, but lower flowering probabilities, than the core of the population. We were unable to detect any abiotic differences between inside and outside the M. oreophila range in terms of topography, soil parent materials, microclimate or through manipulation of snow cover. Disturbance may be a factor affecting the distribution of M. cheesemanii but limiting factors for M. oreophila and M. pulvinaris are likely to be biotic (competition, seed limitation, dispersal capacity) and/or historic. Further experimentation is recommended.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 in Stanley et al 1998). The abundance of bare soil and rock means that competition is probably of less importance than in most plant communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What limits a rare alpine plant species? Comparative demography of three endemic species of Myosotis (Boraginaceae)

et al. 2007

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“…Living snow fences can be aesthetic and provide habit for wildlife, the latter often being undesirable near a road. Additional potential effects associated with living snow fences include changes in the nitrogen content of vegetation with changes in snow depth (Walsh et al, 1997), vegetation species composition (Stanley et al, 1998), and increases in soil moisture and temperature (Holt, 1995;Hinkel and Hurd, 2006); such changes may or may not be desirable at a given location.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%