Topographic Complexity Facilitates Persistence Compared to Signals of Contraction and Expansion in the Adjacent Subdued Landscape

Topographically heterogeneous areas are likely to act as refugia for species because they facilitate survival during regional climatic stress due to availability of a range of microenvironments. The Stirling Ranges are a topographically complex area in the generally subdued and ancient landscape of south-western Australia. We investigated the influence of these landscape features on the evolutionary history of the rare woody shrub, Banksia brownii through a combined approach using phylogeographic analysis of sequence data from three chloroplast sequences, the trnV–ndhC, trnQ–rps16 , and rpl32–ndhF intergenic spacer regions, and species distribution modeling. The Stirling Ranges showed high genetic diversity and differentiation among populations consistent with localized persistence and maintenance of large populations in an area that species distribution modeling identified as providing habitat stability at the Last Glacial Maximum as well as under warmer conditions. In contrast, populations in the adjacent subdued lowlands showed signals of low diversity, suggesting contraction, and subsequent expansion from localized refugia in the west. Cool summers are an important climatic variable for the species and species distribution modeling showed suitable habitat identified at the LGM suggesting expansion at this time following likely contraction during earlier warmer climatic oscillations. The isolated, coastal population at Vancouver Peninsula showed low diversity but no differentiation and it may have been established in more recent historical times, possibly through Aboriginal movement of seed. Our analysis of B. brownii highlights the complex evolutionary history of the species and the influence of topographic complexity and habitat heterogeneity in this global biodiversity hotspot.