RA1 PAPER: Ecological importance of Myrtaceae

Ecological importance of the Myrtaceae in New Zealand's natural forests

December 2021

Jo I, Bellingham PJ, McCarthy JK, Easdale TA, Padamsee M, Wiser SK, Richardson SJ. 2022. Ecological importance of the Myrtaceae in New Zealand's natural forests. Journal of Vegetation Science 33(1)

ABSTRACT

The Myrtaceae is a woody family that plays an important role in forest ecosystems globally. The recent spread of myrtle rust, caused by a fungal pathogen (Austropuccinia psidii), from its native South America into New Zealand (NZ), highlights the need to quantify the ecological importance of Myrtaceae in NZ woody ecosystems.

Using NZ nationwide forest and shrubland inventory data, collected from 2009 to 2014, we quantified the ecological importance of Myrtaceae based on its richness and abundance relative to co-occurring woody families. We then explored how climate and forest stand structure affect Myrtaceae importance in general and by tribe and growth form. Finally, we compared functional traits associated with plant growth and reproductive strategies with those of other dominant woody families and determined Myrtaceae's contributions to community-weighted mean (CWM) trait values.

KEYWORDS

Austropuccinia psidii; familial importance value; functional traits; integrated nested Laplace approximation; inventory data analysis; Kunzea; Leptospermum; Metrosideros; myrtle rust; woody climber