Habitat‐related seed germination traits in alpine habitats
Abstract Understanding the key aspects of plant regeneration from seeds is crucial in assessing species assembly to their habitats. However, the regenerative traits of seed dormancy and germination are underrepresented in this context. In the alpine zone, the large species and microhabitat diversity...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3539 |
| _version_ | 1818740853773959168 |
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| author | Maria Tudela‐Isanta Eduardo Fernández‐Pascual Malaka Wijayasinghe Simone Orsenigo Graziano Rossi Hugh W. Pritchard Andrea Mondoni |
| author_facet | Maria Tudela‐Isanta Eduardo Fernández‐Pascual Malaka Wijayasinghe Simone Orsenigo Graziano Rossi Hugh W. Pritchard Andrea Mondoni |
| author_sort | Maria Tudela‐Isanta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Understanding the key aspects of plant regeneration from seeds is crucial in assessing species assembly to their habitats. However, the regenerative traits of seed dormancy and germination are underrepresented in this context. In the alpine zone, the large species and microhabitat diversity provide an ideal context to assess habitat‐related regenerative strategies. To this end, seeds of 53 species growing in alpine siliceous and calcareous habitats (6230 and 6170 of EU Directive 92/43, respectively) were exposed to different temperature treatments under controlled laboratory conditions. Germination strategies in each habitat were identified by clustering with k‐means. Then, phylogenetic least squares correlations (PGLS) were fitted to assess germination and dormancy differences between species’ main habitat (calcareous and siliceous), microhabitat (grasslands, heaths, rocky, and species with no specific microhabitats), and chorology (arctic–alpine and continental). Calcareous and siliceous grasslands significantly differ in their germination behaviour with a slow, mostly overwinter germination and high germination under all conditions, respectively. Species with high overwinter germination occurs mostly in heaths and have an arctic–alpine distribution. Meanwhile, species with low or high germinability in general inhabit in grasslands or have no specific microhabitat (they belong to generalist), respectively. Alpine species use different germination strategies depending on habitat provenance, species’ main microhabitat, and chorotype. Such differences may reflect adaptations to local environmental conditions and highlight the functional role of germination and dormancy in community ecology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:47:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50879261ea664c46ab1d24a16f8cd16a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:47:20Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-50879261ea664c46ab1d24a16f8cd16a2022-12-21T21:25:08ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582018-01-018115016110.1002/ece3.3539Habitat‐related seed germination traits in alpine habitatsMaria Tudela‐Isanta0Eduardo Fernández‐Pascual1Malaka Wijayasinghe2Simone Orsenigo3Graziano Rossi4Hugh W. Pritchard5Andrea Mondoni6Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia ItalyDepartment of Biological Sciences George Washington University Washington DC USADepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia ItalyDepartment of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences University of Milan Milano ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia ItalyComparative Plant and Fungal Biology Royal Botanic Gardens Ardingly UKDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia ItalyAbstract Understanding the key aspects of plant regeneration from seeds is crucial in assessing species assembly to their habitats. However, the regenerative traits of seed dormancy and germination are underrepresented in this context. In the alpine zone, the large species and microhabitat diversity provide an ideal context to assess habitat‐related regenerative strategies. To this end, seeds of 53 species growing in alpine siliceous and calcareous habitats (6230 and 6170 of EU Directive 92/43, respectively) were exposed to different temperature treatments under controlled laboratory conditions. Germination strategies in each habitat were identified by clustering with k‐means. Then, phylogenetic least squares correlations (PGLS) were fitted to assess germination and dormancy differences between species’ main habitat (calcareous and siliceous), microhabitat (grasslands, heaths, rocky, and species with no specific microhabitats), and chorology (arctic–alpine and continental). Calcareous and siliceous grasslands significantly differ in their germination behaviour with a slow, mostly overwinter germination and high germination under all conditions, respectively. Species with high overwinter germination occurs mostly in heaths and have an arctic–alpine distribution. Meanwhile, species with low or high germinability in general inhabit in grasslands or have no specific microhabitat (they belong to generalist), respectively. Alpine species use different germination strategies depending on habitat provenance, species’ main microhabitat, and chorotype. Such differences may reflect adaptations to local environmental conditions and highlight the functional role of germination and dormancy in community ecology.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3539alpine zonedormancyfunctional traitsgerminabilitygermination strategiesmicrohabitats |
| spellingShingle | Maria Tudela‐Isanta Eduardo Fernández‐Pascual Malaka Wijayasinghe Simone Orsenigo Graziano Rossi Hugh W. Pritchard Andrea Mondoni Habitat‐related seed germination traits in alpine habitats Ecology and Evolution alpine zone dormancy functional traits germinability germination strategies microhabitats |
| title | Habitat‐related seed germination traits in alpine habitats |
| title_full | Habitat‐related seed germination traits in alpine habitats |
| title_fullStr | Habitat‐related seed germination traits in alpine habitats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Habitat‐related seed germination traits in alpine habitats |
| title_short | Habitat‐related seed germination traits in alpine habitats |
| title_sort | habitat related seed germination traits in alpine habitats |
| topic | alpine zone dormancy functional traits germinability germination strategies microhabitats |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3539 |
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