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Nothofagus moorei is a long-lived, Gondwana relict cool temperate rainforest tree. Nothofagus-dominated rainforests were widespread across much of eastern Australia during the mid-Tertiary but today, N. moorei occurs only as a series of disjunct, isolated populations in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. Clonal regeneration via coppicing is reported to be a common feature of most N. moorei populations, while successful sexual regeneration is believed to be rare, occurring largely only in niches with high light levels and limited competition. While clonal propagation enables population persistence and individual longevity, it cannot generate novel genotypes. Isolated populations, potentially high levels of clonality, low-potential for successful sexual regeneration, long-lived individuals and predicted global warming effects make N. moorei vulnerable to local, if not total, population extinction. The current study aimed to assess the relative conservation status of extant N. moorei populations in order to develop appropriate conservation management strategies for long-term population persistence. Levels of genetic diversity and population structure were examined across the remaining natural distribution of N. moorei using nuclear amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), microsatellite and chloroplast DNA markers. In total 607 individuals were sampled from 20 populations and 5 geographical regions: Lamington/Border Ranges, Ballow, Dorrigo/New England, Werrikimbe and Barrington. Genetic results were then analysed to assess conservation status of each population and geographical region. Microsatellite and AFLP data identified comparatively high levels of genetic diversity in all remnant populations sampled. The prevalence of coppicing in the northern Lamington/Border Ranges populations appears to have had little impact on relative levels of genetic diversity, heterozygosity or population structure. Population differentiation was limited, with the majority of genetic variation retained within populations, no regional structuring and high levels of admixture. Analysis of cpDNA variation showed that the three Dorrigo/New England populations were divergent from all other populations, suggesting an ancient divergence in N. moorei prior to Pleistocene glaciations. While levels of genetic diversity were essentially the same across all populations, Bayesian analysis of genetic structure did identify four populations with differing gene pool proportions which would be important to include in conservation efforts in addition to individuals from other populations. Similarly, individuals from four significantly differentiated groups identified using traditional F-statistics suggests individuals from each of these four groups should be included in future conservation plans. In order to maintain ancient chloroplast lineages, populations from the Dorrigo/New England region should also be assigned special conservation value. Populations of N. moorei appear to have retained significant levels of genetic diversity and show little population divergence in spite of marked reductions in the natural distribution since the Early Miocene. Sampling of these ancient trees however, suggests current levels of diversity in N. moorei actually reflect past diversity and differentiation, and that there have been insufficient generations since the historical contraction in distribution for genetic diversity to be adversely affected and regional differentiation to evolve. Long-term persistence of N. moorei is still threatened by future accelerated climate change and the limited preferred habitat that remains where N. moorei can expand its range. While the ability to regenerate clonally may enable long-term persistence of N. moorei, populations are still likely to continue to decline as climatic conditions will increasingly favour sub-tropical and warm temperate species across much of N. moorei's northern distribution. Southern populations of N. moorei, in contrast, could expand their ranges into eucalypt woodlands as predicted climate becomes warmer and wetter. However, this will ultimately be determined by the frequency of fires, with increased fire frequencies favouring the expansion of eucalypts and contraction and possible local population extinction of N. moorei dominated cool temperate rainforests.

While wildfire is globally most common in the savanna-grassland ecotone, the flammability of coastal temperate rainforests is considered low and little is known regarding historic fire activity. Reconstructing historical fire activity typically requires dendrochronological records from fire-scarred trees and post-fire cohorts, but this type of information is rare in perhumid temperate rainforests, which are dominated by dense fuels with high year-round moisture content. I reconstructed historic fire activity using fire scars, tree rings, soil charcoal, and remote sensing techniques in a 2000 km2 island group located within the Hakai Lúxvbálís Conservancy on the coastal margin of central British Columbia. I broadly assessed 13,000 years of fire activity with charcoal deposited in soils, and reconstructed late Holocene fire events with a 700-year chronology built from living fire-scarred trees and stand establishment data. I used a weight of evidence approach to hypothesize the origins of fires and whether First Nations intentionally utilized fire for resource management. Low-severity fires occurred most frequently in forests surrounding former First Nations habitation sites, and lightning strikes do not occur often enough to explain the observed temporal or spatial patterns of fire activity in the study area. Low-severity fires occurred approximately every 39 years, and were 25 times more likely to occur than previously estimated. Fires influenced the composition and structure of vegetation by creating a mosaic of vegetation types in different stages of succession, and thus increased the abundance of culturally important food plants. Fire events have not occurred in the study area since 1893, which also coincides with the reduction of First Nations activities in their traditional territories. My data are consistent with the hypothesis that humans intentionally used fire to manage resources, though further research and ethnographic data collected elsewhere in the region is required to corroborate these findings. Ecological legacies of historic fires remain visible on the present day landscape, and by reconstructing the historic range of fire cycle variability we gain a better understanding of human-driven fire activity and the abrupt changes that occurred in the 20th century. / Graduate

Soil represents the largest global reservoir of microbial diversity for the discovery of novel genes and enzymes. Both stable-isotope probing (SIP) and metagenomics have been used to access uncultured microbial diversity, but few studies have combined these two methods for accessing the biotechnological potential of soil genetic diversity and fewer yet have employed functional metagenomics for recovering novel genes and enzymes for bioenergy or bioproduct applications. In this research, I demonstrate the power of combining functional metagenomics and SIP using multiple plant-derived carbon substrates and diverse soils for characterizing active soil bacterial communities and recovering glycosyl hydrolases based on gene expression. Three disparate Canadian soils (tundra, temperate rainforest and agricultural) were incubated with five native carbon (12C) or stable-isotope labelled (13C) carbohydrates (glucose, cellobiose, xylose, arabinose and cellulose). Sampling at defined time intervals (one, three and six weeks) was followed by DNA extraction and cesium chloride density gradient ultracentrifugation. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of all gradient fractions confirmed the recovery of labeled nucleic acids. Sequencing of original soil samples and labeled DNA fractions demonstrated unique heavy DNA patterns associated with all soils and substrates. Indicator species analysis revealed many uncultured and unclassified bacterial taxa in the heavy DNA for all soils and substrates. Among characterized taxa, Salinibacterium (Actinobacteria), Devosia (Alphaproteobacteria), Telmatospirillum (Alphaproteobacteria), Phenylobacterium (Alphaproteobacteria) and Asticcacaulis (Alphaproteobacteria) were the bacterial ???indicator species??? for the heavy substrates and soils tested. Both Actinomycetales and Caulobacterales (genus Phenylobacterium) were associated with metabolism of cellulose. Members of the Alphaproteobacteria were associated with the metabolism of arabinose and members of the order Rhizobiales were strongly associated with the metabolism of xylose. Annotated metagenomic data suggested diverse glycosyl hydrolase gene representation within the pooled heavy DNA. By screening only 2876 inserts derived from the 13C-cellulose heavy DNA, stable-isotope probing and functional screens enabled the recovery of six clones with activity against carboxymethylcellulose and methylumbelliferone-based substrates.