The seed germination niche limits the distribution of some plant species in calcareous or siliceous alpine bedrocks

Tudela‐Isanta, Maria; Ladouceur, Emma; Wijayasinghe, Malaka; Pritchard, Hugh W.; Mondoni, Andrea

doi:10.1007/s00035-018-0199-0

Cited by 34 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…PD is well represented in species from most biomes, but subtle differences in germination strategies can occur even between relatively similar ecosystems depending upon their environmental conditions. For example, species from alpine and subarctic habitats most commonly have PD that is alleviated by cold stratification over winter, with germination occurring in early summer when the risk from frost is lowest (Niederfriniger Schlag & Erschbamer ; Schwienbacher et al ; Marcante et al ; Körner ; Bernareggi et al ; Tudela‐Isanta et al ; Tudela‐Isanta et al ). However, for populations of the same species distributed across an environmental gradient, germination and dormancy patterns may differ.…”

Section: Biogeographic Variation In Seed Dormancymentioning

confidence: 99%

Dormancy and germination: making every seed count in restoration

Kildisheva¹,

Dixon

Silveira

et al. 2020

Restoration Ecology

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123

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From 50 to 90% of wild plant species worldwide produce seeds that are dormant upon maturity, with specific dormancy traits driven by species' occurrence geography, growth form, and genetic factors. While dormancy is a beneficial adaptation for intact natural systems, it can limit plant recruitment in restoration scenarios because seeds may take several seasons to lose dormancy and consequently show low or erratic germination. During this time, seed predation, weed competition, soil erosion, and seed viability loss can lead to plant re‐establishment failure. Understanding and considering seed dormancy and germination traits in restoration planning are thus critical to ensuring effective seed management and seed use efficiency. There are five known dormancy classes (physiological, physical, combinational, morphological, and morphophysiological), each requiring specific cues to alleviate dormancy and enable germination. The dormancy status of a seed can be determined through a series of simple steps that account for initial seed quality and assess germination across a range of environmental conditions. In this article, we outline the steps of the dormancy classification process and the various corresponding methodologies for ex situ dormancy alleviation. We also highlight the importance of record‐keeping and reporting of seed accession information (e.g. geographic coordinates of the seed collection location, cleaning and quality information, storage conditions, and dormancy testing data) to ensure that these factors are adequately considered in restoration planning.

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Section: Biogeographic Variation In Seed Dormancymentioning

confidence: 99%

Dormancy and germination: making every seed count in restoration

Kildisheva¹,

Dixon

Silveira

et al. 2020

Restoration Ecology

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123

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“…Therefore, thermal niche breadth of germination seems to be related to species occurrence across different ecosystems (e.g. Ranieri et al ., 2012; Marques et al ., 2014; Rosbakh and Poschlod, 2015; Tudela-Isanta et al ., 2018; Picciau et al ., 2019). Such ‘temperature window’ describes seed germination of a given species or population (Labouriau, 1978; Alvarado and Bradford, 2002), thus bounding the limits of the regeneration niche (Thompson et al ., 1999; Porceddu et al ., 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal requirements of seed germination of ten tree species occurring in the western Brazilian Amazon

et al. 2019

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Regeneration from seed affects species assembly in plant communities, and temperature is the most important environmental factor controlling the germination process. Thermal dependence of seed germination is thus associated with species occurrence in an ecosystem. Hence, we aimed to investigate the role of temperature on seed germination of ten tree species from the western Brazilian Amazon. Seeds were collected in the state of Rondônia, Brazil, and set to germinate under constant temperatures ranging from 10 to 40°C in germination chambers. We calculated germination capacity (G%), germination rate (GR50, reciprocal of germination time), and thermal parameters, such as cardinal temperatures and thermal time requirements. Most species had a large range of temperatures showing G% ≥80%, with optimal temperature varying from 20 to 40°C. Base temperature ranged from 6 to 12°C and ceiling temperatures were mainly >40°C. Astronium lecointei and Parkia nitida showed high germination capacity under temperatures of 35–40°C, while germination of Theobroma cacao dropped from 100% to zero under temperatures between 37 and 40°C. The climax species Cedrela fissilis had the slowest germination time (10 days) and highest thermal time requirement, while seeds of Enterolobium schomburgkii (a late-successional species) germinated within the first day of the experiment. Rapid recruitment of Amazon species could be favoured with treefall disturbance, which increases temperatures in the understory, but sharp limits might be found in the supra-optimal range of temperatures. Such patterns might indicate different regeneration strategies in the tropical rainforest, providing important information regarding seed germination among Amazon species.

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“…However, the high temperatures recorded in summer along the whole altitudinal gradient, highlight the fact that Mediterranean mountains have the potential for high evaporation and imposition of water stress, which can have important effects on the timing of seed germination and on plant growth (Mooney et al ., 1965; Rundel et al ., 2003; Giménez-Benavides et al ., 2005). Indeed, it has recently been shown that the base water potential for germination in alpine species can vary with niche preference for siliceous and calcareous soils (Tudela-Isanta et al ., 2018). However, such determinations were beyond the scope of the study reported here.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The existence of adaptively significant variation in seed germination responses (thresholds and thermal time) amongst groups of species or populations has recently been highlighted in relation to the timing of germination in the field and thus niche competitiveness (Meyer et al ., 1997; Daws et al ., 2002; Honek et al ., 2014; Dürr et al ., 2015; Picciau et al ., 2018; Tudela-Isanta et al ., 2018). Here we have extended such an approach to model the characteristics of Mediterranean species and, in so doing, revealed a shift in germination syndromes between lowland and upland species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Garcia-Huidobro et al ., 1982; Covell et al ., 1986; Ellis et al ., 1986) and wild species (e.g. Pritchard and Manger, 1990; Seal et al ., 2017; Tudela-Isanta et al ., 2018). In these models, seeds accumulate units of thermal time (degree days: °Cd) to germinate above a base temperature for germination ( T b ), with germination rate generally increasing linearly with temperature to an optimum temperature ( T o ), above which germination rate decreases (Garcia-Huidobro et al ., 1982).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal thresholds for seed germination in Mediterranean species are higher in mountain compared with lowland areas

Picciau

Pritchard²,

Mattana

et al. 2018

Seed Sci. Res.

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Each taxon is characterized by a temperature range over which seed germination is possible and this may vary in space and time in relation to climate and ecological conditions. We used thermal modelling to test the hypothesis that thermal thresholds for seed germination can predict germination timing of Mediterranean species along an altitudinal and environmental gradient. Seeds of 18 species were collected in Sardinia from sea level to 1810 m above sea level, and germination tests were carried out at a range of constant (5 to 25°C) and alternating (25/10°C) temperatures. Different dormancy-breaking treatments [gibberellic acid (GA3), cold (C) and warm (W) stratifications and dry after ripening (DAR)] were applied. The annual pattern of soil temperatures was recorded using 24 data-loggers buried close to the study species. The logged soil temperatures distinguished ‘Mediterranean lowland’ from ‘Mediterranean mountain’ species. Although germination was >50% in untreated seeds of most species, GA3 had a positive effect in all species. C either inhibited or had a neutral effect on germination, W did not enhanced seed germination, while DAR had a positive effect only in species from coastal environments. The thermal time constant (S) for 50% germination ranged from 22 to 357°Cd (degree days) above base temperatures (Tb) of –9 to 9°C, depending on species and treatments. Mediterranean lowland species had lower Tb values compared with upland species. This study revealed significant differences in germination thresholds of Mediterranean lowland and mountain species in relation to Tb and S that probably have an impact on germination timing in the field and niche competitiveness.

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The seed germination niche limits the distribution of some plant species in calcareous or siliceous alpine bedrocks

Cited by 34 publications

References 68 publications

Dormancy and germination: making every seed count in restoration

Dormancy and germination: making every seed count in restoration

Thermal requirements of seed germination of ten tree species occurring in the western Brazilian Amazon

Thermal thresholds for seed germination in Mediterranean species are higher in mountain compared with lowland areas

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