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SB10402 Zoogeographic regions

BIOGEOGRAPHY of the world

The Sclater and Wallace
classification of faunal
regions.

The Floral Holt et al. 2013. An Update of

Wallace’s Zoogeographic Regions of
the World. Science 339: 74 - 77.

Regions

Source: Hugget, R. J. (2004). Fundamentals of

biogeography. Routledge Fundamentals of Physical Geography,
New York.

Floral Regions
• British botanist Ronald Good (1974), using Adolf Engler’s (1870) scheme
• Living angiosperms
• Delineated 6 major floral regions (‘kingdoms’) and 37 sub-regions (‘regions’)

• Similar
delineation
by Armen L.
Takhtajan
(1986)

• Floral regions – as proposed by Cox (2001)

• Cape and Antarctic region deleted
Cox, C.B. (2001). The biogeographic regions reconsidered. Journal of Biogeography
28: 511-523
Source: Hugget, R. J. (2004). Fundamentals of biogeography. Routledge Fundamentals of Physical Geography, New York.

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E.C. Pielou’s combined

Flora regions faunal and floral regions
The Holartic
Neartic Paleartic

Factors that define the floral regions:

• 1. present locations of biogeographic barriers
• 2. history of continental drift
• 3. evolutionary history of modern plant
African/Ethiopian
Oriental families (flowering plants/angiosperms)

Neotropic

Australian
Palaeotropic
Cape

1.Present locations of biogeographic 1. Present locations of biogeographic barriers:

barriers: •Physical barriers to dispersal - deserts
• Physical barriers to dispersal •Palearctic vs Ethiopian – Sahara Desert & Arabian Desert
•Neartic vs Neotropical – arid deserts in northern US & Mexico
– sea/ocean, mountains, deserts, •Ethiopian & Palearctic vs Oriental – deserts in southwest Asia & Arabian
channels/straits peninsula
• Biological barriers
– Climate conditions – cold vs warm
– Competition
Biogeographic prevent the passage of some species
from one biogeographical region to
Filters another

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The Himalayas
1. Present locations of biogeographic barriers:
PALEARCTIC • Physical barriers to dispersal
– sea/ocean, channels/straits
– Makassar Strait – Oriental vs Australian
ORIENTAL
– Glacial period – Asia, Australia & Malaysian
Tibetan plateau Archipelago connected
Makassar Strait (120 m deep)
– Borneo – Sulawesi—X
– Deep gorge 120 m, covered by sea
1. Present locations of biogeographic barriers: – Serve as barrier
• Physical barriers to dispersal
– mountains
– Palearctic vs Oriental – Tibetan Plateau & the
Himalayas

1. Present locations of biogeographic barriers: 1. Present locations of biogeographic barriers:

• Biological & climatic barriers • Climatic barriers - Climate conditions
– Isthmus of Panama – Neartic vs Neotropical – Bering Strait – Nearctic vs Palearctic
– Climate condition – temperate vs tropical – extreme & harsh cold climate – arctic, treeless
– Competition – Glacial period – sea level dropped 80-100 m
– Today act as filter – Alaska & Siberia joined by large landbridge
– However, no migration/dispersal plant & animal
Nearctic

Bering Strait
Siberia

~100 km
Neotropical

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Factors that define the floral regions

3. Evolutionary history of modern plant families
Factors that define the floral regions: (flowering plants/angiosperms)
2. History of continental drift – Origin of angiosperms ???
- Continents have shifted through time – joined and – Cycad ? Seed bearing fern? Pines?
separated – Agreed – monophyletic in origin ==>evolved from the
- Europe & Asia (EURASIA) – joined for ~50 my same ancestors Neuropteris
Glossopteris
- S-Am & N-Am – only linked few mya ~6-3 mya Cycad
- Australia isolated from all continents for past 50
my ---> unique flora and fauna
- --> evolution/speciation through adaptive
radiation, extinction, dispersal

Factors that define the floral regions Factors that define the floral regions
3. Evolutionary history of modern plant families
3. Evolutionary history of modern plant families (flowering plants/angiosperms)
(flowering plants/angiosperms) Origin??? – 3 ; based
– Fossil evidence – present in late Cretaceous (~150 mya) on fossil evidences
3
– Increase 1% - >50% early Tertiary (100-65 mya) (1) African-S.American origin
– Dominant early Tertiary (60mya) 90% Earth total flora -Center of origin & dispersal

-Migrated from tropics towards 1

the poles (north-south)

-Part of Gondwanaland, early

Cretaceous (150mya) 2
-Flora Gondwanaland>Laurasia

--> suggest early evolution &

speciation in Gondwanaland &
dispersed to Laurasia

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Factors that define the floral regions Factors that define the floral regions
3. Evolutionary history of modern plant families 3. Evolutionary history of modern plant families
(flowering plants/angiosperms) (flowering plants/angiosperms)

(2) South Pacific origin

3
-many primitive living Amborella trichopoda
organisms – Fiji, New -found only in New Caledonia
Caledonia, New Guinea,
eastern Australia, Malay
Archipelago 1 I
-1st evolved here, modern
species are relics
2
-e.g. Amborella trichopoda– a
living plant most related to
Angiosperm ancestor
-found only in New Caledonia
-evolved ~135 mya
-Amborellaceae (monotypic)
Amborella trichopoda

Factors that define the floral regions Factors that define the floral regions
3. Evolutionary history of modern plant families 3. Evolutionary history of modern plant families
(flowering plants/angiosperms) (flowering plants/angiosperms)
(3) Northern Asia origin
(3) Northern Asia
origin 3 … oldest Angiosperm fossil, dated Jurassic in China
-oldest Angiosperm fossil, dated
Jurassic in China • Euanthus panii, a fossil flower, from the Jiulongshan Formation (the Middle –Late
-124.6 my from Yixian Jurassic, 162 –167 Ma) of Liaoning, China
Formation, Liaoning, China.
-Archaefructus liiaoningensis
1 Zhong-Jian Liu & Xin Wang (2015). A perfect flower from the Jurassic of China,
Historical Biology, DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2015.1020423
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2015.1020423

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/296/5569/899.full-text.pdf+html
Details of the Jurassic flower's sepals (S) and petals (P).
Credit: Liu & Wang, Historical Biology

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• Earliest angiosperms – all dicots • Angiosperms dominant – gymnosperms & ferns

• Monocot evolved late Cretaceous (~100-60mya), dicot extinct
ancestor • Competitive advantages over other plants
• Oldest monocot fossil – palms – Efficient vascular system – able to withstand drought
• Widespread & dominant plant – Poaceae (grasses) – Ovaries & pollen protected from dessication
– Co-evolution of pollen/fruit/flower & animals– additional
– Evolved recent mechanisms for pollination & dispersal
– Oldest fossil – 65-55 my deposit in Tennessee
– Savanna & grassland area increase 45-30 mya
(cooler & drier)
– Late tertiary (~5-2 mya) – climate more cooler &
drier – tundra & desert – new species

• Gymnosperms prevail at high altitudes & latitudes

(pine&spruce) – Evergreen
– Able to begin photosynthesis as soon as temperature warms
Widespread in – Loss of seeds minimal in cooler regions/winter
northern
– Less competition from angiosperms – distance & ocean
hemisphere
restrict dispersal of cold-adapted angiosperm species
(southern beech - Nothofagus)
Nearctic &
Palearctic – Pines diversified & widespread in N-Am & Eurasia - >100
species

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Greenland

Floral regions
N-Am Europe
• Nearctic N-Africa
Northern Asia

Holarctic
• Palearctic Mexico

• Neotropic
• Ethiopian/African
Palaeotropic
• Oriental
• Nearctic & Palearctic – The Holarctic/Boreal
• Australian/Australasian – Subtropic –temperate deciduous-arctic
• (Antarctic, Capensic –southern tip of Africa) – Few endemism
– Differences in flora minor
– Share many angiosperm & gymnosperm species

Shared & common flora

Angiosperm species - maples, oak, ash, elm, hazel, birch, poplar,
beech (deciduous forest)
Gymnosperms – pines, spruce, fir, larch, arctic willow
Nearctic Palearctic
• 94 angiosperm families • 69 families angiosperm
• Endemics: • Endemics:
• Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip • Olea europaea (Olive)
tree) • Pistacia vera (Pistachio)
• Sequoia sempervirons • Cedrus spp (Cedars) Maple Acer spp
(Coastal redwood) • Metasequoia
• Pseudotsuga menziesii glyptostroboides (China)
(Douglas fir) • Cryptomeria japonica
(Japanese cedar)
Desert flora – Nearctic differ from Palearctic, similar to Palaeotropic & Poplar Populus balsamifera
Neotropic, e.g. cacti

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Betula Birch trees

Birch tree fruit seeds

getting ready for dispersal

White spruce

Larch – deciduous – unlike Blue spruce

most other conifers

Spruce cones

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Nearctic endemics
Liriodendron tulipifera
Pseudotsuga menziesii

Salix arctica Artic willow

Sequoia sempervirens

Olea europaea Palearctic Endemics Nearctic & Palearctic – The Holarctic/Boreal

• Flora composition similar
• Similar longitudinal positions –
climate & environment the
same
Europe, Asia & N-Am joint for 65 my, N-
Am separated only recently via Bering
Strait (11,700 mya)- dispersal & flora
exchange recent
•Strong impact by climate &
geography during late Cenozoic
cooling & Quartenary glaciations

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Pistacia vera

Cryptomeria japonica Sugi

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Neotropical region Neotropical region

• S-Am, Central Am, adjacent • Shared plant genera:
islands • Australian region
• Climate tropical to temperate – Southern beeches (Nothofagus)
• Flora most diverse – 137 (Australia)
Nothofagus antarctica (Tasmania)
angiosperm families – Donatia, Phyllanche, Drapetes, Order: Fagales
Gaimardia (Tasmania-NZ-Chile) Family: Nothofagaceae
• >50 families endemic
• Environments – diverse –
potential niches
– Alpine tundra – temperate –
tropical rainforest – dry tropical
rainforest – savanna - grassland

Phyllanche

Family: Stylidiaceae
Donatia fascicularis J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Family: Stylidiaceae
Donatia novae-zelandiae Hook.f.

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Family: Thymelaeaceae Family: Centrolepidaceae Gaimardia australis Gaudich.

Gaimardia amblyphylla W.M.Curtis – Tasmania

Gaimardia australis Gaudich. – Falkland Islands,
Magellan Strait region in Chile + Argentina
Gaimardia fitzgeraldii F.Muell. & Rodw. – Tasmania
Gaimardia setacea Hook.f. –- New Guinea, Tasmania,
New Zealand South Island

Drapetes sp 1. – New Zealand

Drapetes muscosa – Chile, Argentina

Gaimardia fitzgeraldii F.Muell. & Rodw. Gaimardia setacea Hook.f.

Drapetes sp 2. – New Zealand

Neotropical region
• Shared plant genera:
• African/Ethiopian & Australian
– Podocarpus, Araucaria,
Proteaceae (~80 genera, all
restricted to southern
hemisphere continents – good
example of Gondwanan
distribution)

Araucaria
Podocarpus

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The Proteaceae
The Proteaceae

Protea cynaroides Banksia serrata

Hakea spp

Neotropical region
• Shared plant genera:
• Nearctic
– Cactaceae - continuous distribution
across Isthmus of Panama
– Disjunct distribution(fragmented) –
i.e. Larrea tridentata – common in
California & N-Am deserts, also
found in southern tip S-AM Neotropical region
• Geologic history • Early Tertiary (~55mya) S-Am
• Part of Gondwanaland in early well separated from Antarctica
Cretaceous but not linked with N-Am yet
• Separated late Cretaceous (95 • Flora(&fauna) evolved in
mya) isolation for ~40 my
• Africa moved northwest, • --> unique & diverse flora
Antarctica southward – Various environments (forest types) 
many potential niches

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African/Ethiopian region African/Ethiopian region

• Sub-saharan desert, adjacent portion of Arabian Peninsular
• 117 families angiosperm
• Shared many common plants Neotropic & Australian
• Evolution of angiosperm (speciation) during late Cretaceous
- still close to southern continents – flora exchange
• Africa separated earlier than S-Am & Australia, prevent
dispersal of other plants, i.e. Nothofagus )

Note: South African/Capensic – distinct flora result Note: South African/Capensic – distinct flora result
of climate (Mediterranean), excluded (Cox, 2001) of climate (Mediterranean), excluded (Cox, 2001)

Oriental region Oriental region

• Indian sub-continent, adjacent

portion southern Asia
• Angiosperms 108 families Tectona grandis

• Tropical vegetation
• Montane vegetation close
affinity to Palearctic-Nearctic • Endemic tree – teak Tectona grandis
flora • Distinctive family – Dipterocarpaceae

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Oriental region • - India separated from Gondwanaland in late Cretaceous & moved
northward (an ‘ark’), collided with Asian continent (14 mya)
• Flora close ties with – India – floral transport to Asia bringing Neotropical, African &
Neotropic, African, Australian elements
Australian – Flora disperse and expand to other Asian regions
225 mya 200 mya
• Geologic history – early
Cretaceous (~150mya) –
still part of Gondwanaland

135 mya) 65 mya

Present day

Oriental region Oriental region

• Middle Miocene(14mya) • Southeast asian
– Australia & New Guinea Stepping stones region (Sundaland) –
moved northward, closer unique & diverse
to Malay Archipelago angiosperms distinct
• During Quartenary from Palearctic
glacial, no landbridges – Result from isolation in
between Australia & the lower latitudes
>100 my
Oriental regions
– Evidence flora
• Plants dispersed via exchange Oriental –
stepping stones route to Palearctic -
southeastern Asia regions Dipterocarpaceae
fossil of Oriental origin
•Myrtaceae of Oriental origin migrate to Australia found in Alaska (early
Eucalyptus spp - Diversify Tertiary)

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Australian/Australasian region Australian/Australasian region

• Dominant endemic genera –
• Australia, Tasmania, New
Eucalyptus & Melaleuca
Guinea, New Zealand
• Eucalyptus – 95% tree biomass
• Most distinct among
– Genera & species - Alpine tundra-
biogeographic regions (* fauna) dry savanna-tropical rainforest
• Climate tropical-temperate – Member of Myrtaceae – ancestors
Eucalyptus ficifolia
• Angiosperms 90 families (18 of Oriental origin (late Cretaceous)
endemics) – Migrated to Australia during
Tertiary
• Affinities – Oriental, African,
– Adaptive radiation – different
Neotropic
species of Eucalyptus
– No dispersal modern Eucalyptus
to Oriental region
– Absent in NZ
Eucalyptus globulus

Biogeographic Regions
Summary
-Area of animal and plant distribution having similar or
shared characteristics throughout = related genetically
Eucalyptus calycogona -Why some animals/plants occur in certain region and not
Eucalyptus leucoxylon rosea
in others
Eucalyptus citriodora
- biogeographic barriers/filters – dispersal, isolation
- history of the Earth – continental drift and climate
change
- evolution (adaptation/radiation), extinction

Eucalyptus polyanthemos
Eucalyptus gunii

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