THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY ALEISA HANNAH TADIOS AYSON IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF TWO INVASIVE ACACIA SPECIES: ANALYSING CURRENT PATTERNS AND PREDICTING FUTURE SCENARIOS IN AUSTRALIA BACHELOR THESIS Study Mode: Full-time Major: Environmental Science and Management Faculty: Advance Education Program Batch: 2015 - 2018 Thai Nguyen, 25/09/2018 Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry Degree Program Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management Student Name Aleisa Hannah Tadios Ayson Student ID DTN1554290046 Thesis Title Impacts of Climate Change and Environmental Factors on the Potential Distribution of two Invasive Acacia species: Analysing Current Patterns and Predicting Future Scenarios in Australia Supervisors Dr. Eddie van Etten and Dr. Do Thi Ngoc Oanh Supervisors’ signature Abstract: Invasive species and climate change interact in a positive feedback loop and are identified as drivers of global change which impose impacts on ecological systems. This study aimed (i) to determine the potential invasion pattern of A.
longifolia and A, iteaphylla based on climatic and environmental factors in Australia, (ii) to determine the potential future invasion pattern of both Acacia species with climate change and (iii) to determine the effect of environmental factors (distance, depth to groundwater, understorey cover, fire and occurrence of larger trees) on the local-scale patterns of invasion of the two Acacia species in Perth, Western Australia (WA). Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) was done to project the potential invasion pattern of the two Acacia species for current and future periods using the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and Biodiversity Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL). In order to determine the effect of environmental factors on the local-scale patterns of invasion of the two Acacia species, a field survey was done on the Swan Coastal Plain, Perth, WA. The current potential distribution range of A.
longifolia based on its natural and naturalised distributions in Western (WA), South (SA) and East Australia (EA) under climate variables will contract as affected by the influence of environmental variables while the potential distribution of A. iteaphylla based on its natural and naturalised distribution in WA, SA, and EA will expand in distribution range once environmental variables were added. longifolia will ii continue to expand distribution to southern EA and Tasmania in the future under RCP 4.5 and will continuously expand under RCP 8. iteaphylla will cease to expand and will start to decrease in density in all its ranges in WA, SA, and EA under RCP 4.5 and will continuously contract in RCP 8.
Field survey results showed that A. longifolia grew more on undisturbed wet areas while A. iteaphylla grew more on well disturbed dry areas. Burnt sites showed a higher density of A.
Both species have shown a similar preference for occurring under larger trees. Results from both SDM and field survey showed the different response of the two Acacia species on climate and environmental factors. Keywords: Acacia longifolia subsp. longifolia, Acacia iteaphylla, invasive species, species distribution model, climate change, invasion patterns Number of page 193 Date of submission September 25, 2018 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The writing of this bachelor’s degree thesis was not an easy task.
During the time of writing, the researcher received support and help from various people and institutions. First and foremost, praises and thanks to God for His showers of blessings throughout the completion of this study. The researcher would like to share her deepest gratitude to the Advanced Education Program and to the TUAF officials for their unending assistance to their students. The researcher is also grateful to the School of Science of Edith Cowan University whose research travel grant made the field work possible.
The researcher is profoundly indebted to both her supervisors. Sincerest thanks to Dr. Eddie van Etten for his warmest welcome, generosity of time, knowledge and resources, and for assisting the researcher in each step of the thesis most especially in her field works. Appreciation is given to Dr.
Do Thi Ngoc Oanh for her patient guidance, encouragement, and advice given to the researcher throughout the thesis writing. Completing this work would have been more difficult were it not for the support and friendship provided by the amazing people that the researcher met in Australia that made her stay there beyond great. Deepest gratitude to her family and friends who never failed to give an indispensable source of support and encouragement. Finally, the researcher extends her regards to all of those who supported her in any respect during the completion of this study.
Thanks for everything that helped the researcher get to this day. Ayson iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES. xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. Research Questions and Hypotheses.
Impacts of species invasion. Drivers of species invasion. Characteristics of species. Invasion patterns of weedy plants in Australia.
Acacia longifolia and its subspecies. Acacia as invasive species .1 Invasion of Acacia species: Global. Invasion of Acacia species: Australia. Invasion of Acacia species in the Perth region, Western Australia.
Seed dispersal of Acacia. Fire response of Acacia. Background on methods used in biodiversity study. Species Distribution Models and invasive species:.
Invasion patterns at local-scale. 52 PART III: METHODS. Field survey and data collection. 66 PART IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS.
Invasion patterns of A. iteaphylla in Australia. Invasion patterns in Australia: Climate change factors. Current distribution of A.
iteaphylla in Australia. Invasion patterns in Australia: Environmental factors. Current distribution of A. iteaphylla due to environmental variables in Australia.
Potential range expansion in future distribution of A. iteaphylla due to climate change in Australia. Prediction accuracy of Species Distribution Models of A. Significant variables used in the Species Distribution Model of A.
iteaphylla under current conditions. Mean response curves of the potential current predictions of A. Local-scale patterns of invasion of A. iteaphylla in Perth, WA: Environmental Factors.
Edge effect on plant density, basal area and biovolume of A. Effect of depth to groundwater to plant density of A. Effect of different understorey cover on the occurrence of A. Effect of fire on the plant density, basal area and biovolume of A.
Effect of occurrence of larger trees on occurrence of A. Invasion patterns in Australia: SDM using climate and environmental variables. Invasion patterns in Perth, WA: Environmental factors in field survey. 122 PART V: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
151 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Predicted current distribution of A. longifolia based on its native ranges under current climate condition produced in BCCVL. Darker areas representing a higher likelihood that the species can occur. 69 Figure 2: Predicted current distribution of A.
longifolia based on its naturalised ranges under current climate condition produced in BCCVL. Darker areas representing a higher likelihood that the species can occur. 69 Figure 3: Predicted current distribution of A. iteaphylla based on its native ranges under current climate condition produced in BCCVL.
Darker areas representing a higher likelihood that the species can occur. 70 Figure 4: Predicted current distribution of A. iteaphylla based on its naturalised ranges under current climate condition produced in BCCVL. Darker areas representing a higher likelihood that the species can occur.
71 Figure 5: Predicted current distribution of A. longifolia based on its native ranges under current climate and environmental variables produced in ALA (see legend for species occurrence probability). White dots show the presence locations used for training, while violet dots show test locations. 73 Figure 6: Predicted current distribution of A.
longifolia based on its naturalised ranges under current climate and environmental variables produced in ALA (see legend for species occurrence probability). White dots show the presence locations used for training, while violet dots show test locations. 73 Figure 7: Predicted current distribution of A. iteaphylla based on its native ranges under current climate and environmental variables produced in ALA (see legend for species occurrence probability).
White dots show the presence locations used for training, while violet dots show test locations. 74 Figure 8: Predicted current distribution of A. iteaphylla based on its naturalised ranges under current climate and environmental variables produced in ALA (see legend for species occurrence probability). White dots show the presence locations used for training, while violet dots show test locations.
75 Figure 9: a) Predicted future distribution map and b) change in potential species change map of A. longifolia based on its native range projected to the year 2045 using RCP 4.5 to influence the CSIRO Mark 3. Areas v marked red in the future projection map represents where species will disappear from the current distribution and areas marked green represents where will species occur. Refer to change in species map for the detailed potential distribution in the future.
77 Figure 10: a) Predicted future distribution map and b) change in potential species change map of A. longifolia based on its native ranges projected to the year 2045 using RCP 8.5 to influence the CSIRO Mark 3. Areas marked red in the future projection map represents where species will disappear from the current distribution and areas marked green represents where will species occur. Refer to change in species map for the detailed potential distribution in the future.
78 Figure 11: a) Predicted future distribution map and b) change in potential species change map of A. longifolia based on its naturalised ranges projected to the year 2045 using RCP 4.5 to influence the CSIRO Mark 3. Areas marked red in the future projection map represents where species will disappear from the current distribution and areas marked green represents where will species occur. Refer to change in species map for the detailed potential distribution in the future.
79 Figure 12: a) Predicted future distribution map and b) change in potential species change map of A. longifolia based on its naturalised ranges projected to the year 2045 using RCP 8.5 to influence the CSIRO Mark 3. Areas marked red in the future projection map represents where species will disappear from the current distribution and areas marked green represents where will species occur. Refer to change in species map for the detailed potential distribution in the future.
80 Figure 13: a) Predicted future distribution map and b) change in potential species change map of A. iteaphylla based on its native ranges projected to the year 2045 using RCP 4.5 to influence the CSIRO Mark 3. Areas marked red in the future projection map represents where species will disappear from the current distribution and areas marked green represents where will species occur. Refer to change in species map for the detailed potential distribution in the future.
82 Figure 14: a) Predicted future distribution map and b) change in potential species change map of A. iteaphylla based on its native ranges projected to the year 2045 using RCP 8.5 to influence the CSIRO Mark 3. Areas marked red in the future projection map represents where species will disappear from the current distribution and areas marked green represents where will species occur. Refer vi to change in species map for the detailed potential distribution in the future.
83 Figure 15: a) Predicted future distribution map and b) change in potential species change map of A. iteaphylla based on its naturalised ranges projected to the year 2045 using RCP 4.5 to influence the CSIRO Mark 3. Areas marked red in the future projection map represents where species will disappear from the current distribution and areas marked green represents where will species occur. Refer to change in species map for the detailed potential distribution in the future.
84 Figure 16: a) Predicted future distribution map and b) change in potential species change map of A. iteaphylla based on its naturalised ranges projected to the year 2045 using RCP 8.5 to influence the CSIRO Mark 3. Areas marked red in the future projection map represents where species will disappear from the current distribution and areas marked green represents where will species occur. Refer to change in species map for the detailed potential distribution in the future.