Habitat peculiarity as a cause of rarity in Eucalyptus paliformis

Eucalyptus paliformis is a rare species of the Wadbilliga Plateau in southeastern Australia. The hypothesis that rarity in E. paliformis is a result of restriction to a rare habitat was addressed by means of a floristic survey comparing sites where E. paliformis occurs with similar sites where it is not known to occur. Mathematical models describing mean annual rainfall and mean annual temperature regimens experienced in southeastern Australia were used to locate areas with a climate similar to E. paliformis sites. Understorey vegetation of E. paliformis sites was then compared with that of climatically similar areas using a stratified random sampling procedure. Similarity in floristic composition was used as an integrated measure of habitat similarity. Detrended correspondence analysis of the floristic data suggested that E. paliformis sites are unique. No single environmental factor was sufficient to describe E. paliformis sites—rather, their peculiarity could be ascribed to a unique combination of environmental factors. Within the Wadbilliga area, temperature or moisture parameters relating to marginally higher elevation or low relative radiation index may be important. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling of the floristic data revealed similar environmental trends in the data, but support for habitat peculiarity in E. paliformis was weaker.