Seed characterization and direct sowing of native grass species as a management tool

Aires, Stefano Salvo; Sato, Margarete Naomi; Miranda, Heloísa S.

doi:10.1111/gfs.12077

Cited by 35 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…These results support other studies that found viable seeds of savanna grasses even after 1 year of storage (Willis & Groves 1991;Aires et al 2014). From the standpoint of collection and storage of seeds, this is a favorable result, since no reduction in germinability was observed at least after several months.…”

Section: Dry Grasslandsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Seeds in grasslands are often subjected to environments with high amplitude of soil surface temperatures throughout the day, particularly after fire passage (Musso et al 2014), a condition that could promote dormancy breaking. Other studies indicate storage as a good technique to increase seed germination (Willis & Groves 1991;Aires et al 2014). However, a clear pattern does not emerge from these studies, because a wide variety of responses to the germination treatments has been observed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Factors influencing seed germination in Cerrado grasses

2016

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Few studies address the ecology of herbs of Cerrado grasslands, which are ecosystems where the long dry season, high temperatures, insolation, fire and invasive grasses greatly influencing germination and the establishment of plants. We assessed germination of 13 species of Poaceae from Cerrado grasslands under nursery conditions or in germination chambers, the latter with i) recently collected seeds and seeds after six months storage, ii) under constant and alternating temperatures, and iii) in the presence and absence of light. Germinability, mean germination time (MGT) and required light were quantified to elucidate factors involved in successful germination. Germinability was low for most grasses, probably because of low seed viability. For most species, germinability and MGT were not altered by seed storage. Germination percentages were higher at alternating temperatures and in the presence of light, factors that are more similar to natural environmental situations compared with constant temperature or the absence of light. Our findings indicate that alternating temperatures and light incidence are key factors for germination of species of Poaceae. The maintenance of these environmental factors, which are crucial for the conservation of Cerrado grasslands, depends on appropriate management interventions, such as fire management and the control of biological invasion. Keywords ABSTRACTFew studies address the ecology of herbs of Cerrado grasslands, which are ecosystems where the long dry season, high temperatures,

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Section: Dry Grasslandsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Factors influencing seed germination in Cerrado grasses

2016

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“…The information presented here can be used in studies on the restoration of invaded Cerrado areas, as the Cerrado soil seed bank is transient, with a maximum seed density of 63–144 seeds/m 2 , mostly from graminoids, subshrubs and shrubs (Andrade & Miranda, ; Salazar et al., ). These plants generally show lower germination rates (Aires, Sato, & Miranda, ; Le Stradic et al., ; Overbeck, Müller, Pillar, & Pfadenhauer, ) than the seedling emergence rate observed here for U. decumbens .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

Seed longevity and seedling emergence rate of Urochloa decumbens as influenced by sowing depth in a Cerrado soil

Dantas-Junior

Musso

Miranda

2018

Grass and Forage Science

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Urochloa decumbens (Signal grass) is an African grass species that is widely used in Brazil for pasture formation, and it has a high potential for invading natural areas. This study evaluated the longevity of U. decumbens seeds in the soil seed bank and the emergence rates of seedlings from different depths. In the greenhouse (natural light; ~25°C), seeds were sown at depths of 0, 1, 2 or 3 cm, in trays filled with sterile soil, to assess seedling emergence. Seeds sowed on the soil surface began to germinate 3 days after sowing. Seeds sowed at depths of 2 and 3 cm germinated 5 days after sowing. No seedlings emerged after 15 days. The seedling emergence rate was 74 ± 7% with no significant difference between sowing depths. In the field, seed longevity was evaluated by burying 60 replicates of 100 seeds at a soil depth of 2–3 cm, in a Cerrado area in the IBGE Ecological Reserve, Brasília. From September 2016 to April 2017, five samples were retrieved monthly to assess seed viability. In September, the viability was 68%, declining to 3% in October; by February, viable seeds were no longer recorded. As U. decumbens flowers in several episodes throughout the year, a soil survey may result in a misleading interpretation of the formation of a permanent soil seed bank.

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“…Initially, annual herbs had the highest richness and frequency, but at the end of this study they were replaced by native and invasive exotic grasses. Annual herbs are efficient colonizers, as they form persistent seed banks that germinate and complete their life cycle quickly after soil exposure (Rapport & Whitford ), in contrast to native and exotic perennial grasses, which are efficient competitors but have slower initial development and biomass accumulation (Aires et al ). Although grasses may be recruited from the seed bank (Andrade & Miranda ), which is transported in the topsoil, some native species also spread by stolons (Klimešová & Klimeš ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Topsoil translocation for Brazilian savanna restoration: propagation of herbs, shrubs, and trees

Ferreira

Walter

Vieira

2015

Restoration Ecology

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Topsoil translocation has been used for vegetation restoration throughout the world, but it has been poorly tested within savannas. This study describes Brazilian savanna (cerrado) regeneration for the first 3 years following topsoil translocation. The topsoil was stripped from 2.5 ha of savanna and spread on 1 ha of an abandoned laterite quarry in the Federal District, Brazil. We assessed vegetation structure and species composition in 18 circular plots (3.14/m 2 ) after 5 and 15 months and in 30 circular plots after 37 months. In the last floristic survey, the coverage of herbs was estimated using the step-point method.To verify the source of regeneration, a total of 181 shrubs and trees were excavated over the first 2 surveys. After 3 years, 24, 40, and 21 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees, respectively, had been recorded by the surveys. Of the 33 families found, Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Asteraceae were the most representative. At 5 and 15 months, 91 and 83% of the individuals (shrubs and trees combined) were derived from resprouting, respectively. Shrub and tree stem density reached 3.2/m 2 at 5 months, but declined to 0.5/m 2 at 37 months. By the final survey, native and exotic grasses completely covered the ground. Topsoil translocation was effective for the propagation of native herbs, shrubs, and trees, despite the need to control invasive grasses. The large number of shrub and tree resprouts from roots suggests that the bud bank is an important component of the topsoil for savanna restoration. Implications for Practice• Topsoil translocation effectively established native savanna species of herbs, shrubs, and trees on an abandoned laterite quarry. The topsoil can be used for restoration rather than being discarded after removal from nearby construction and mining sites. • Root fragments should be taken into account in topsoil translocation of savannas and other sprouter-dominated communities, as their resprouts were responsible for most regenerating trees and shrubs.

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Seed characterization and direct sowing of native grass species as a management tool

Cited by 35 publications

References 40 publications

Factors influencing seed germination in Cerrado grasses

Factors influencing seed germination in Cerrado grasses

Seed longevity and seedling emergence rate of Urochloa decumbens as influenced by sowing depth in a Cerrado soil

Topsoil translocation for Brazilian savanna restoration: propagation of herbs, shrubs, and trees

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