Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species
The Tamaulipan thornforests of south Texas and northeast Mexico are an ecologically and economically important conservation hotspot. Thornforest restoration is limited by native tree and shrub seedling availability for planting. Seedling shortages arise from low seed availability and knowledge gaps...
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1489 |
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| author | Paula Luera Kimberly Wahl-Villarreal Bradley O. Christoffersen Abeny Treviño Pushpa Soti Christopher A. Gabler |
| author_facet | Paula Luera Kimberly Wahl-Villarreal Bradley O. Christoffersen Abeny Treviño Pushpa Soti Christopher A. Gabler |
| author_sort | Paula Luera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Tamaulipan thornforests of south Texas and northeast Mexico are an ecologically and economically important conservation hotspot. Thornforest restoration is limited by native tree and shrub seedling availability for planting. Seedling shortages arise from low seed availability and knowledge gaps regarding best practices for germinating and growing the 70+ thornforest species desired for restoration plantings. To fill key knowledge gaps, we investigated three ecologically important thornforest species with low or highly variable germination or seedling survival rates: <i>Ebenopsis ebano</i>, <i>Cordia boissieri</i>, and <i>Zanthoxylum fagara</i>. For each, we quantified the effects of different dosages of chemical seed treatments used to promote germination (sulfuric acid, SA; gibberellic acid, GA; indole-3-butyric acid, IBA) on germination likelihood and timing. We also quantified the effects that these chemical seed treatments, soil media mixture type, and soil warming had on seedling survival, growth, and root morphology. <i>Ebenopsis</i> germination peaked (>90%) with 40–60 min SA treatment. <i>Cordia</i> germination peaked (40%) with 100 mg/L GA treatment. <i>Zanthoxylum</i> germination was negligible across all treatments. Seed molding was rare but stirring during SA treatment reduced <i>Ebenopsis</i> molding by 4%. <i>Ebenopsis</i> seedling survival, height, leaf count, and root morphology were minimally affected by seed treatments, generally reduced by warming, and influenced by soil mix, which also mediated responses to warming. These results suggest improvements to existing practices that could increase <i>Ebenopsis</i> germination by 10–20% and potentially double <i>Cordia</i> germination. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:28:14Z |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:28:14Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-4cb83ddd70ca42b4ad3e2b918e021b962023-11-22T09:17:00ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472021-07-01108148910.3390/plants10081489Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest SpeciesPaula Luera0Kimberly Wahl-Villarreal1Bradley O. Christoffersen2Abeny Treviño3Pushpa Soti4Christopher A. Gabler5School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1 West University Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78520, USASouth Texas National Wildlife Refuge Complex, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 3325 Green Jay Rd, Alamo, TX 78516, USASchool of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1 West University Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78520, USADepartment of Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W University Dr, Edinburg, TX 78539, USASchool of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1 West University Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78520, USASchool of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1 West University Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78520, USAThe Tamaulipan thornforests of south Texas and northeast Mexico are an ecologically and economically important conservation hotspot. Thornforest restoration is limited by native tree and shrub seedling availability for planting. Seedling shortages arise from low seed availability and knowledge gaps regarding best practices for germinating and growing the 70+ thornforest species desired for restoration plantings. To fill key knowledge gaps, we investigated three ecologically important thornforest species with low or highly variable germination or seedling survival rates: <i>Ebenopsis ebano</i>, <i>Cordia boissieri</i>, and <i>Zanthoxylum fagara</i>. For each, we quantified the effects of different dosages of chemical seed treatments used to promote germination (sulfuric acid, SA; gibberellic acid, GA; indole-3-butyric acid, IBA) on germination likelihood and timing. We also quantified the effects that these chemical seed treatments, soil media mixture type, and soil warming had on seedling survival, growth, and root morphology. <i>Ebenopsis</i> germination peaked (>90%) with 40–60 min SA treatment. <i>Cordia</i> germination peaked (40%) with 100 mg/L GA treatment. <i>Zanthoxylum</i> germination was negligible across all treatments. Seed molding was rare but stirring during SA treatment reduced <i>Ebenopsis</i> molding by 4%. <i>Ebenopsis</i> seedling survival, height, leaf count, and root morphology were minimally affected by seed treatments, generally reduced by warming, and influenced by soil mix, which also mediated responses to warming. These results suggest improvements to existing practices that could increase <i>Ebenopsis</i> germination by 10–20% and potentially double <i>Cordia</i> germination.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1489reforestationgerminationpropagationphytohormonesscarificationgibberellic acid |
| spellingShingle | Paula Luera Kimberly Wahl-Villarreal Bradley O. Christoffersen Abeny Treviño Pushpa Soti Christopher A. Gabler Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species Plants reforestation germination propagation phytohormones scarification gibberellic acid |
| title | Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species |
| title_full | Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species |
| title_short | Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species |
| title_sort | effects of scarification phytohormones soil type and warming on the germination and or seedling performance of three tamaulipan thornscrub forest species |
| topic | reforestation germination propagation phytohormones scarification gibberellic acid |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1489 |
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