Dominant role of seawater osmotic pressure on germination in Cymodocea nodosa

Caye, G.; Bulard, C.; Meinesz, A.; Loquès, F.

doi:10.1016/0304-3770(92)90007-6

Cited by 27 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…Numerous studies have observed that an increase of salinity induces both a reduction in the number of seeds germinated and a delay in the initiation of germination Hootsmans et al, 1987;Loques et al, 1990;Harrison, 1991;Caye et al, 1992;Conacher et al, 1994). These negative responses might be related to the inhibitory effect of osmotic stress or to the decline in mobilization of food reserves.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Optimal germination in seeds of seagrasses often occurs under hyposalinity conditions and germination of most species is reduced and delayed with a salinity increase Hootsmans et al, 1987;Loques et al, 1990;Harrison, 1991;Caye et al, 1992;Conacher et al, 1994), but the response may vary considerably with species.…”

Section: A C C E P T E D Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among them, salinity can be considered as one of the main limiting factors in the germination of many seagrass species (Caye and Meinesz, 1986;Caye et al, 1992;Orth et al, 2000). Salinity stress affects seed germination either through osmotic effects, by delaying or inhibiting germination, or through ion toxicity, which can make the seeds unviable (Brenchley and Probert, 1998).…”

Section: A C C E P T E D Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of salinity on seed germination and early seedling growth of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Fernández‐Torquemada

Sánchez-Lizaso

2013

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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Please cite this article as: Fernández-Torquemada, Y., Sánchez-Lizaso, J.L., Effects of salinity on seed germination and early seedling growth of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science (2013), doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2012 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. AbstractPrevious research has demonstrated the low tolerance of Posidonia oceanica mature shoots to salinity variability but there is no information about the response of its seeds and seedlings to this impact. In the present study, two independent experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of salinity variation on germination, development and survival of P. oceanica seeds and seedlings under laboratory-controlled conditions. Maximum P. oceanica seed germination occurred at the control salinity (37), while mortality was lowest for this treatment. However, no significant differences were detected with other salinity levels (39-49). In contrast, salinity appears to play an important role in seedling development. The number of blades, the length of the primary root and the maximum length of leaves of seedlings were significantly reduced with increased salinities. The results observed in the present study are consistent with those obtained for mature P. oceanica shoots, and suggest that hypersalinities, such as those associated with brine discharge of a desalination plant, may limit P. oceanica seedling recruitment, affecting the expansion and recovery of Posidonia meadows.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A C C E P T E D Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A C C E P T E D Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of salinity on seed germination and early seedling growth of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Fernández‐Torquemada

Sánchez-Lizaso

2013

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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“…These studies also found an interaction between salinity and scarification, with germination increasing at lower salinities. Removal of the seed coat of Cymodocea nodosa resulted in increased germination at a lower salinity (20%0) than a higher one (38%0) (Caye et al 1992). McMillan (1987McMillan ( , 1988b and Birch (1981) found no effect of seed coat removal for Halophila engelmanii, H. decipiens, and H. spinulosa.…”

Section: Seed Germinationmentioning

confidence: 98%

A review of issues in seagrass seed dormancy and germination:implications for conservation and restoration

Orth¹,

Harwell²,

Bailey³

et al. 2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

184

116

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Seagrasses have received considerable attention over the past 2 decades because of the multiple ecological roles they play in estuarine and coastal ecosystems and concerns over worldwide losses of seagrass habitat due to direct and indirect human impacts. Restoration and conservation efforts are underway in some areas of the world, but progress may be limited by the paucity of information on the role of seeds in bed dynamics. Although flowering occurs in most of the 58 seagrass species, seed germination data exist for only 19 of the 42 species that have some period of dormancy, with only 93 published references to field and/or laboratory studies. This review addresses critical issues in conservation and restoration of seagrasses involving seed dormancy (e.g. environmental vs physiological), existence and type of seed bank (transient or persistent), and factors influencing seed germination (e.g. salinity, temperature, light). Results of many earlier published studies relating seed germination to various environmental factors may need re-examination given more recent published data which show a confounding influence of oxygen level on the germination process. We highlight the importance of conducting ecologically meaningful germination studies, including germination experiments conducted in sediments. We also identify questions for future research that may figure prominently in landscape level questions regarding protected marine or estuarine reserves, habitat fragmentation, and restoration.

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“…In summer, mature seeds are buried in the sediment around the base of maternal shoots where they remain in a state of en-forced dormancy induced by temperature and salinity conditions (Caye et al 1992), although some seeds may be transported by water to other places (Caye & Meinesz 1985, Buia & Mazzella 1991, Caye et al 1992. Approximately 50% of the seeds entering the sediment germinate the following spring, in accordance with the seasonal environmental conditions (Caye & Meinesz 1986, Pirc et al 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Effect of seed density and sediment nutrient heterogeneity on recruitment and early patch growth in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa

Balestri

Vallerini²,

Lardicci³

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Two mesocosm experiments were performed to examine the effects of seed density and small-scale nutrient heterogeneity on seedling recruitment and early development of patches of Cymodocea nodosa. In the first experiment, seeds were sown at 4 densities selected after determining mean natural density of seeds in the field, and the emergence and survival rates of seedlings were monitored for 1 yr. In the second experiment, seedlings were grown individually for 2 yr, either on substrate made heterogeneous or homogeneous with the addition of a fertiliser or on unfertilised substrate. The emergence rate and proportional survival of seedlings decreased significantly with increasing seed density. Seedlings grown on fertilised substrates were able to form patches, while those grown on unfertilised substrate failed to branch, providing experimental evidence of the role of nutrient limitation as a constraint for patch initiation. The size of seed-generated patches was significantly larger (in terms of total length of the rhizome network and number of shoots) on heterogeneous substrate than on homogeneous substrate at the same overall level of nutrient supply. Apparently, no preferential proliferation of shoots and branches occurred in the nutrient-rich half of the heterogeneous substrate. The results support our hypothesis that negative density dependence at the seed-seedling stage plays an important role in regulating population size. They also reveal that seedlings experiencing nutrient heterogeneity are capable of exploiting resources more efficiently than those in homogeneous environments, but are probably unable to escape from unfavourable patches or to select favourable ones, at least at the scale examined here.

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Dominant role of seawater osmotic pressure on germination in Cymodocea nodosa

Cited by 27 publications

References 10 publications

Effects of salinity on seed germination and early seedling growth of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Effects of salinity on seed germination and early seedling growth of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

A review of issues in seagrass seed dormancy and germination:implications for conservation and restoration

Effect of seed density and sediment nutrient heterogeneity on recruitment and early patch growth in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa

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