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Protea plants help unlock secrets of species 'hotspots'
December 23, 2008New species of flowering plants called proteas are exploding onto the scene three times faster in parts of Australia and South Africa than anywhere else in the world, creating exceptional 'hotspots' of species richness, according to new research published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Proteas are best known as the national symbol of South Africa. The international team behind today's new study created an evolutionary 'family tree' of all 2,000 protea plant species on Earth - the majority of which are found in South Western Australia (SWA) and the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa. This 'family tree' enabled the researchers to examine how these and other regions of the planet with Mediterranean-style climates have become so-called 'biodiversity hotspots'.
Until now, scientists have not known exactly why such large numbers of plant and animal species live in these Mediterranean hotspots. They are places of significant conservational importance which, like the rainforests, contain some of the richest and most threatened communities of plant and animal life on Earth.
The research published today provides the first conclusive proof that plant species in two of these hotspots are evolving approximately three times faster than elsewhere on the planet. The study dates this surge in protea speciation as occurring in the last 10-20 million years, following a period of climate change during which SWA and the CFR became hotter, drier, and more prone to vegetation fires.
Dr Vincent Savolainen, a biologist based at Imperial College London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of the authors of the new study, explains its significance, saying:
"Something special is happening in these regions: new species of proteas are appearing notably faster than elsewhere, and we suspect this could be the same case with other plant species too. This study proves that the abundance of different kinds of proteas in these two areas isn't simply due to normal rates of species diversification occurring over a long period of time.
"This is the first step towards understanding why some parts of the planet with a Mediterranean-style climate have become species-rich biodiversity hotspots."
Dr Savolainen and his colleagues believe that climatic changes millions of years ago could be one of the factors that prompted the protea plants' 'hyperdiversification' in SWA and the CFR. As these two regions became hotter, dryer, and prone to seasonal fires, proteas - which are drought-resistant and able to re-grow easily after a fire - would have survived, thrived and diversified into new species when faced with less competition for resources from less hardy plants.
Dr Savolainen concludes: "South Western Australia and the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa are areas of great interest to both evolutionary biologists and conservationists, because they contain such a rich profusion of life but are under threat from mankind's activities.
"Understanding more about the evolutionary history of these biodiversity 'hotspots' is important because it can help make conservation efforts more efficient."
Proteas live in the southern hemisphere and come in many different shapes and sizes, from 35-metre-tall trees to low growing shrubs. All proteas have leathery leaves and cup-shaped groupings of small, brightly coloured flowers that resemble thistles.
The Cape Floristic Region of South Africa and South Western Australia are two of five areas on Earth with a Mediterranean-style climate which have been designated 'biodiversity hotspots' by Conservation International. The others are: central Chile, California, and The Mediterranean basin.
Imperial College London
The research published today provides the first conclusive proof that plant species in two of these hotspots are evolving approximately three times faster than elsewhere on the planet. The study dates this surge in protea speciation as occurring in the last 10-20 million years, following a period of climate change during which SWA and the CFR became hotter, drier, and more prone to vegetation fires.
Dr Vincent Savolainen, a biologist based at Imperial College London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of the authors of the new study, explains its significance, saying:
"Something special is happening in these regions: new species of proteas are appearing notably faster than elsewhere, and we suspect this could be the same case with other plant species too. This study proves that the abundance of different kinds of proteas in these two areas isn't simply due to normal rates of species diversification occurring over a long period of time.
"This is the first step towards understanding why some parts of the planet with a Mediterranean-style climate have become species-rich biodiversity hotspots."
Dr Savolainen and his colleagues believe that climatic changes millions of years ago could be one of the factors that prompted the protea plants' 'hyperdiversification' in SWA and the CFR. As these two regions became hotter, dryer, and prone to seasonal fires, proteas - which are drought-resistant and able to re-grow easily after a fire - would have survived, thrived and diversified into new species when faced with less competition for resources from less hardy plants.
Dr Savolainen concludes: "South Western Australia and the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa are areas of great interest to both evolutionary biologists and conservationists, because they contain such a rich profusion of life but are under threat from mankind's activities.
"Understanding more about the evolutionary history of these biodiversity 'hotspots' is important because it can help make conservation efforts more efficient."
Proteas live in the southern hemisphere and come in many different shapes and sizes, from 35-metre-tall trees to low growing shrubs. All proteas have leathery leaves and cup-shaped groupings of small, brightly coloured flowers that resemble thistles.
The Cape Floristic Region of South Africa and South Western Australia are two of five areas on Earth with a Mediterranean-style climate which have been designated 'biodiversity hotspots' by Conservation International. The others are: central Chile, California, and The Mediterranean basin.
Imperial College London
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Proteas in Hawaii by Paul Wood (Author), Ron Dahlquist (Photographer) Meet the proteas. In the plant kingdom, there is nothing quite like the exuberant and resourceful family of flowering shrubs known as the proteas. During the past few decades, the flower-friendly Hawaiian Islands have given this Southern-Hemisphere group a new and particularly favorable home. In this book, a Maui writer and photographer team up to celebrate these wildly diverse flowers - their origins, their floral secrets and their usefulness as the most enduring bouquet plants in the world. Hawai‘i’s proteas are new - and they are the flowers of the future. |
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Protea by Colin Paterson-Jones (Author) Protea is a spectacular introduction to the fascinating protea family in southern Africa. The title covers all of the protea groups, their origins, distribution, and the habitats and regions in which they occur. A section on evolution highlights species that are closely related, as well as those that are rare or threatened. An exciting chapter on exploration and discovery reveals recent Proteaceae discoveries, as well as the rediscovery of species previously considered extinct. The photographs show the many faces of the protea family - from the soft palettes of the blusing bride, Serruria florida, to the vibrant red shades of the king protea, Protea cynariodes. |
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Proteas of the World by Lewis Matthews (Author), Zoe Carter (Illustrator) Native to the southern hemisphere, the members of the family Proteaceae are mostly shrubby and are notable for remarkably varied, often spectacular flowers that are prized in cut floral displays.Published at $45.00 Our last copies available at $22.49 |
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Growing Proteas by Rob McLennan (Author) |
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Black Beard Protea 8 Seeds -Protea lepidocarpodron by Hirt's Gardens Genus of 115 species. The genus is named after the Greek god Proteus, who was able to change his shape at will, an indication of the diversity and variety to be found in the Protea family. It bears red-pink, open flower heads about 5" across for most of the year, but they are at their showiest in spring. PROTEA lepidocarpodendron "Black Beard Protea" - Heavy black fur on the bract tips with bracts pale green, tan, and cream. The bracts are 5" tall, 2 1/2 " across. Height 5'. . The common names for different proteas promise extravagance, and proteas deliver. Their "flowers" (actually a head or cluster of long, narrow, tubular flowers, often surrounded by colorful petal-like leaves or bracts) come in unbelievable sizes, shapes, textures, and color ranges. These bizarre plants are... |
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SASOL Proteas: A Field Guide to the Proteas of South Africa by Tony Rebelo (Author), Colin Paterson-Jones (Photographer) Synonymous with South Africa, proteas form part of a family that includes some 370 species of leucospernums, leucadendrons, serrurias and others. This book describes all known species of Proteaceae in the Cape Floral Kingdom and future afield, and includes diagrammatic quick keys and clear, concise text. Diagnostic features are highlighted, and a distribution map accompanies each species description. For amateur botanists and those who like to ramble in the fynbos. |
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Dry Cargo International by Protea Publishing |
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Protea Growers Handbook by Matthews (Author) | |
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The Protea Family in Southern Africa by Colin Paterson-Jones (Author) A collection of full-colour photographs celebrating one of Southern Africa's most distinctive and interesting flower families, the Proteaceae. The text concisely touches on the ancient origins of these plants, and their distribution throughout the world and within the subcontinent, explaining the fascinating reasons for their prominence in the South-western Cape region. Most of the rest of the guide is taken up by informative and colourful examination of the different Protea groups together with the habitats in which they thrive. Other topics covered include: growth forms, pollination and seed dispersal, the role of fire in unlocking dormant species, ancient plants, new discoveries, recent extinctions, rare species, environmental threats and conservation. |
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