Growing up or growing out? How soil pH and light affect seedling growth of a relictual rainforest tree.

Seedling growth rates can have important long-term effects on forest dynamics. Environmental variables such as light availability and edaphic factors can exert a strong influence on seedling growth. In the wild, seedlings of Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) grow on very acid soils (pH ∼4.3) in deeply shaded sites (∼3 % full sunlight). To examine the relative influences of these two factors on the growth of young W. nobilis seedlings, we conducted a glasshouse experiment growing seedlings at two soil pH levels (4.5 and 6.5) under three light levels: low (5 % full sun), medium (15 %) and high (50 %). Stem length and stem diameter were measured, stem number and branch number were counted, and chlorophyll and carotenoid content were analysed. In general, increased plant growth was associated with increased light, and with low pH irrespective of light treatment, and pigment content was higher at low pH. Maximum stem growth occurred in plants grown in the low pH/high light treatment combination. However, stem number was highest in low pH/medium light. We hypothesize that these differences in stem development of W. nobilis among light treatments were due to this species' different recruitment strategies in response to light: greater stem growth at high light and greater investment in multiple stem production at low light. The low light levels in the W. nobilis habitat may be a key limitation on stem growth and hence W. nobilis recruitment from seedling to adult. Light and soil pH are two key factors in the growth of this threatened relictual rainforest species.

Comparative genetic study confirms exceptionally low genetic variation in the ancient and endangered relictual conifer, Wollemia nobilis (Araucariaceae).

The Wollemi pine, Wollemia nobilis (Araucariaceae), was discovered in 1994 as the only extant member of the genus, previously known only from the fossil record. With fewer than 100 trees known from an inaccessible canyon in southeastern Australia, it is one of the most endangered tree species in the world. We conducted a comparative population genetic survey at allozyme, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci in W. nobilis, Araucaria cunninghamii and Agathis robusta - representatives of the two sister genera. No polymorphism was detected at 13 allozyme loci, more than 800 AFLP loci or the 20 SSR loci screened in W. nobilis. In Ag. robusta only one of 12 allozyme loci, five of 800 AFLP loci and none of the 15 SSR loci were variable. For A. cunninghamii, 10 of > 800 AFLP loci and five of 20 SSR loci were variable. Thus low genetic diversity characterizes all three species. While not ruling out the existence of genetic variation, we conclude that genetic diversity is exceptionally low in the Wollemi pine. To our knowledge this is the most extreme case known in plants. We conclude that the combination of small population effects, clonality and below-average genetic variation in the family are probable contributing factors to the low diversity. The exceptionally low genetic diversity of the Wollemi pine, combined with its known susceptibility to exotic fungal pathogens, reinforces current management policies of strict control of access to the pines and secrecy of the pine locations.