Seed dispersal, seedling emergence, and early survival of Larixlaricina (DuRoi) K. Koch in the Tanana Valley, Alaska

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.R. Brown ◽  
D.B. Zobel ◽  
J.C. Zasada

The seasonal and spatial patterns of seed release, germling emergence, and early survival of Larixlaricina (DuRoi) K. Koch were studied in 1980–1981 near Fairbanks, Alaska. Dispersal was studied on one wetland site. Seedling emergence and 1-year survival were studied on three wetland microsite types (troughs, feathermoss, and tussock tops, located at increasing elevations above permafrost) and in mineral soil and undisturbed feathermoss seedbeds in a mature Piceaglauca stand of alluvial origin. Approximately 95% of the viable Larix seed from the 1980 cone crop fell by November 1980. Spatial distribution of seed away from the stand was erratic because of variable winds and the presence of a single Larix away from the stand edge. Average dispersal distances were less than those reported for other coniferous species. Emergence and early survival in both site types were affected by seedbed type. In the alluvial stand, germination and 1-year survival were greater on mineral seedbeds than on feathermoss. Emergence began in mid-July, well after minimum temperatures required for germination had been reached; timing appeared to be related to differences in volumetric moisture contents of the two seedbed types. Although cumulative totals of emergence and mortality did not differ between microsite types in the wetland, seasonal patterns of each differed with microsite. Emergence in troughs was delayed until early July by cold seedbed temperatures; increased precipitation in mid to late July raised the water table and flooded newly emerged seedlings in trough microsites but moistened feathermoss sufficiently to promote germination. Variation in emergence and mortality was high within a given microsite type.

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-384
Author(s):  
Cesar Pedro Hartmann Filho ◽  
André Luís Duarte Goneli ◽  
Tathiana Elisa Masetto ◽  
Elton Aparecido Siqueira Martins ◽  
Guilherme Cardoso Oba

Abstract: This study evaluated the physiological potential of soybean seeds harvested during two seasons, on different maturation stages and subjected to different drying temperatures. The seeds were harvested at the maturations stages R7, R7 + 2, R7 + 3, R7 + 5, R7 + 6, R7 + 7, R7 + 10 and R7 + 12 days (55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, and 20% of moisture content). For each maturation stage, seeds were divided into three samples: one sample was used to directly evaluate the physiological potential, and the others were dried at 40 °C and 50 °C, until reaching the moisture content of 11.5%. The physiological potential was evaluated through germination test, first germination count of germination, accelerated aging, modified cold, electrical conductivity and seedling emergence. The maximum physiological potential of seeds is achieved at the moisture content of 55%, the point that the dry matter is maximum. The seeds became tolerant to artificial drying approximately at the stage R7 + 7 days (30% of moisture content). Germination and vigor of the soybean seeds reduce as the drying temperature is increased from 40 °C to 50 °C, and this effect is enhanced when the seeds show moisture contents above 30%.


1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Winsa ◽  
Urban Bergsten

Direct seeding of Pinussylvestris L. is a regeneration method, with potential for development considering scarification, microsite preparation, seed invigoration, and seed quality. Three seed lots of different quality concerning seed weight, germination percent, and mean germination time were used on two sites in northern Sweden. Microsite preparation, 2 cm deep pyramidal indentations, of the mineral soil improved seedling emergence on the two sites by 48 and 62%, respectively, compared with seeding without preparation other than removal of the humus layer. Microsite preparation in combination with invigorated seed, i.e., seed incubated at 30% moisture content for 7 days at 15 °C, resulted in seedling emergence of about 85% for the highest and about 50% for the lowest seed quality at both sites. Noninvigorated seed, seeded without microsite preparation, reached about 55% for the highest and 22% at one and 43% at the other for the lowest seed quality. Without microsite preparation there was no, or a negative, effect of seed invigoration on seedling emergence. Seedling survival after the first winter improved significantly with better seed quality. Survival averaged 92 and 72% at the two sites, with frost heaving causing most mortality. Seedlings from invigorated and redried seed survived better than seedlings from untreated seed. Seedlings from the best seed quality had higher values in seedling height, about 35%, shoot length, about 60%, and needle length, about 30%, after two growing seasons than seedlings from lower seed qualities. Invigoration and microsite preparation had no effect on measured growth characteristics.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. e109132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Vizcaíno-Palomar ◽  
Bárbara Revuelta-Eugercios ◽  
Miguel A. Zavala ◽  
Ricardo Alía ◽  
Santiago C. González-Martínez

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 577-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Zabinski ◽  
Todd Wojtowicz ◽  
David Cole

We investigated the soil seed bank in a subalpine ecosystem with patchy disturbance from camping. Soil cores were collected from three site types, heavily impacted, lightly impacted, and undisturbed, that differed in area of bare ground and depth of surface organic matter. We hypothesized that the density and composition of the seed bank would vary with depth of surface organic matter and distance from established vegetation. Seedling emergence was determined in the greenhouse. Seed density was significantly lower on disturbed sites, averaging 441 seeds/m2 on heavily impacted sites, 1495 seeds/m2 on lightly impacted sites, and 4188 seeds/m2 on undisturbed sites. Seed density declined exponentially with distance from established vegetation and increased with depth of surface organic matter. The number of species present did not vary across site types, but 10 species that occurred on lightly impacted and undisturbed sites were not present on heavily impacted sites. We concluded that disturbance that causes removal of surface organic matter can affect natural revegetation by lowering the density of propagules and affecting the species represented in the seed bank.Key words: seed bank, subalpine, patchy disturbance, recreation impacts.


1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (18) ◽  
pp. 2408-2412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice M. Moore ◽  
Ross W. Wein

Seedling emergence from organic and mineral soil layers was measured for nine study sites at the Acadia Forest Experiment Station near Fredericton, New Brunswick. The number of viable seeds showed a decrease from deciduous-dominated forest, to conifer-dominated forest, to organic soil study sites. Viable seed number varied from 3400/m2 for a deciduous-dominated forest study site to zero for a bog study site. Most seeds germinated from the upper organic soil layers of all study sites and were predominantly Rubus strigosus Michx. After the germination experiment, ungerminated seeds, which showed no viability by the tetrazolium test, were separated from the soil. These seeds were almost entirely Betula spp. and seed numbers were as high as 4200–9400/m2 for a deciduous-dominated forest. The applicability of the results to differing types of postdisturbance revegetation is discussed.


1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1639-1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Haeussler ◽  
John C. Tappeiner II ◽  
Brian J. Greber

Effects of forest disturbance and soil moisture levels on establishment of red alder (Alnusrubra Bong.) seedlings were studied at four sites representing a climatic moisture gradient within the central Coast Range of Oregon. On average, there was no difference in seedling emergence between recent clearcuts and second-growth forests, but emergence was much higher on mineral soil than on organic seedbeds. Emergence, on both types of seedbed, was positively correlated with spring soil moisture conditions (R2 = 0.60). Seedling survival, on the other hand, differed greatly between clearcut and forest. In clearcuts, heat and drought injuries were the primary causes of seedling mortality. In the forest, seedlings had poor vigour and quickly succumbed to pathogens, herbivores, and rain splash. First-year survival rates were strongly correlated with minimum summer soil moisture levels (R2 = 0.71). Height growth of seedlings on clearcuts (2–5 cm after 1 year; 8–23 cm after 2 years) was much slower than rates typically described for red alder. Best establishment occurred on skid trails and landings, suggesting that young seedlings may suffer less from heat or moisture stress on these heavily disturbed microenvironments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 179-187
Author(s):  
Mariaelena D'Ambrosio ◽  
Ana L. Primo ◽  
Miguel A. Pardal ◽  
Filipe Martinho ◽  
Elena Guerrero ◽  
...  

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 1483-1487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Chrosciewicz

Moisture contents of organic forest-floor materials were studied by strata in a semimature jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) stand in relation to their within-stand locations and changes in both duff moisture code and fine fuel moisture code, the two weather-based components of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System. The resulting best-fitting curvilinear regressions (Y = aebX) of the duff moisture code showed distinctive patterns of variation so that both the surface and subsurface forest-floor strata were consistently more moist in stand openings than under stand canopy. An initial moisture inversion between the surface and subsurface forest-floor materials manifested itself near the start of the regressions wherever live Schreber's moss (Pleuroziumschreberi (Brit.) Mitt.) and litter were the combined surface materials; otherwise, pure surface litter was consistently drier than the subsurface materials. Combinations of all these materials down to mineral soil showed intermediate moisture contents both in stand openings and under stand canopy. In contrast, the best-fitting regressions of the fine fuel moisture code just for surface forest-floor strata were of the straight line (Y = a + bX) category and had generally lower r2 values than those for the corresponding curvilinear regressions (Y = aebX) of the duff moisture code.


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