Dataset Information

Nitrogen signals and their ecological significance for seed germination of ten psammophilous plant species from European dry acidic grasslands.

ABSTRACT: The presented study evaluated effects of potassium nitrate (KNO3), ammonium nitrate (NH4 NO3) and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) on the germination-related characteristics of 10 species from European dry acidic grasslands. Germination was studied under controlled laboratory conditions. The seeds were subjected to KNO3, NH4 NO3 and NH4Cl in four doses (1, 10, 50 and 100 mM) and to distilled water. Final germination percentage, index of germination velocity and index of germination synchrony were determined. Content of nitrogen in the soil probed from the site of seeds collection was also analyzed. Significant effects of type of the nitrogen compounds and their concentrations were observed. High concentrations of nitrogen-containing salts inhibited completion of germination in almost all species. Helichrysum arenarium and Hypericum perforatum showed preference for NH4+ over NO3?, whereas Arnoseris minima, Alyssum montanum, Jasione montana and Spergula morisonii showed preference for NO3? over NH4+. Centaurea scabiosa, C. stoebe and Hypochaeris radicata had no preference and wide tolerance to the type of nitrogen-containing compound. Echium vulgare showed differential response hard for interpretation. A. montanum and J. montana showed stenotopic behavior in terms of nitrogen-related conditions. It is proposed that nitrogen-rich soil gaps favor establishment of more nitro-tolerant plant species (e.g. C. scabiosa, C. stoebe and H. radicata) as compared to nitrogen-poor ones.

SUBMITTER: Wala M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7781371 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Nitrogen signals and their ecological significance for seed germination of ten psammophilous plant species from European dry acidic grasslands.

Wala Mateusz M Kołodziejek Jeremi J Patykowski Jacek J

PloS one 20210104 1

The presented study evaluated effects of potassium nitrate (KNO3), ammonium nitrate (NH4 NO3) and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) on the germination-related characteristics of 10 species from European dry acidic grasslands. Germination was studied under controlled laboratory conditions. The seeds were subjected to KNO3, NH4 NO3 and NH4Cl in four doses (1, 10, 50 and 100 mM) and to distilled water. Final germination percentage, index of germination velocity and index of germination synchrony were deter ...[more]

PMID: 33395438

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Project description:In tropical dry forests, although seed germination and seedling establishment are in general limited by the seasonal availability of water, high interspecific variability, nonetheless, exists in terms of seedling traits and germination dynamics. Differences among species in seed germination and seedling traits may be related to other plant life-history traits, such that assessing these relationships may increase our understanding of factors influencing plant establishment, which would affect the regeneration pathways of tropical dry forest communities. In this study, taking into consideration the effect species' phylogeny, we evaluated the relationships of seed germination metrics (percentage, lag time, and rate of germination) and seedling types (i.e. cotyledons functional morphology), with plant life-history traits (growth form, seed mass, dispersal syndrome and dispersal phenology) for 110 species in a Neotropical dry forest in Mexico. A total of 92% of the species studied disperse their seeds during the dry season, mainly at the beginning of this season (66%), a strategy mostly associated with autochorous herbs. Seed germination was more frequent in species that dispersed seeds at the end of the dry season. Germination percentage was not related to any of the traits studied. However, germination lag time and rate were negatively related to seed mass, a trait that in turn depended on growth form and dispersal syndrome. The dominant seedling type in the community was phanerocotylar epigeal with foliaceous cotyledons (56%), which was mostly associated with small seed mass and herbaceous growth form. Our results provide evidence that several plant life-history traits explain an important part of the variation in seed germination and seedling characteristics observed among species. Therefore, these plant life-history traits may be useful for grouping species in terms of their establishment strategies and roles on the regeneration of tropical dry communities.

Project description:Background and aimsOaks are the foundation and dominant tree species of most Mediterranean forests. As climate models predict dramatic changes in the Mediterranean basin, a better understanding of the ecophysiology of seed persistence and germination in oaks could help define their regeneration niches. Tunisian oaks occupy distinct geographical areas, which differ in their rainfall and temperature regimes, and are thus a valuable model to investigate relationships between seed traits and species ecological requirements.MethodsSeed morphological traits, desiccation sensitivity level, lethal freezing temperature, embryonic axis and cotyledon sugar and lipid composition, and seed and acorn germination rates at various constant temperatures were measured in Quercus canariensis, Q. coccifera, Q. ilex and Q. suber, using seeds sampled in 22 Tunisian woodlands.Key resultsOnly faint differences were observed for desiccation sensitivity in the oak species studied. By contrast, the species differed significantly in sensitivity to freezing, germination rates at low temperature and base temperature. Quercus ilex and Q. canariensis, which occur at high elevations where frost events are frequent, showed the lowest freezing sensitivity. A significant correlation was found between hexose contents in the embryonic axis and freezing tolerance. Significant interspecific differences in the time for seeds to germinate and the time for the radicle to pierce the pericarp were observed. The ratio of pericarp mass to acorn mass differed significantly among the species and was negatively correlated with the acorn germination rate. Quercus coccifera, which is frequent in warm and arid environments, showed the highest acorn germination rate and synchrony.ConclusionsSeed lethal temperature, seed germination time at low temperatures, the ratio of pericarp mass to acorn mass and the embryonic axis hexose content appeared to be key functional traits that may influence the geographical ranges and ecological requirements of Mediterranean oaks in Tunisia.

Dataset Information

Nitrogen signals and their ecological significance for seed germination of ten psammophilous plant species from European dry acidic grasslands.

Publications

Nitrogen signals and their ecological significance for seed germination of ten psammophilous plant species from European dry acidic grasslands.

Similar Datasets

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