scholarly journals The seed germination spectrum of alpine plants: a global meta‐analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Fernández‐Pascual ◽  
Angelino Carta ◽  
Andrea Mondoni ◽  
Lohengrin A. Cavieres ◽  
Sergey Rosbakh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Alpine Plants

scholarly journals Seed germination and rising atmospheric CO2concentration: a meta-analysis of parental and direct effects

2014 ◽  
Vol 202 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Marty ◽  
Hormoz BassiriRad
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Direct Effects

scholarly journals Comparative Germination Ecology of Two Endemic Rhaponticum Species (Asteraceae) in Different Climatic Zones of the Ligurian and Maritime Alps (Piedmont, Italy)

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 708
Author(s):  
Valentina Carasso ◽  
Marco Mucciarelli ◽  
Francesco Dovana ◽  
Jonas V Müller
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Alpine Plants ◽  
General View ◽  
Maritime Alps ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Climatic Zones ◽  
Plant Nursery ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Germination Requirements ◽  
Germination Strategy

Comparative studies of seed germination of closely related taxa can help increase our understanding of the ecological limitations of cold-adapted plants and forecast how they might respond to global warming. No studies exist on the relationship between thermoclimatic belts that classify mountain life zones according to bioclimatic criteria and the germination strategy of alpine plants. The aim of this study was to assess this relationship using two closely related species growing in different thermotypes and to test whether their germination responses were related to the climate at natural sites. Fresh Rhaponticum bicknellii and R. scariosum seeds were cold stratified for 0, 30, 60 and 90 days and tested for germination at 10, 15 and 20 °C. At the same time, seed burial experiments were run in the field and in the plant nursery. A GLM analysis showed that the length of cold stratification affected significantly only the germination of R. bicknellii seeds, while increasing temperatures prompted germination in both species. We found that R. bicknellii adopts a drought-avoiding germination strategy, while R. scariosum germination is favoured by warm temperatures. Our findings support the general view that alpine plants do not share common germination requirements and that any conclusions should be interpreted from a biogeographical and bioclimatic perspective. Therefore, seed germination and seedling establishment of endemic alpine species can also be predicted by looking at the bioclimate of the species’ range.

How do primates affect seed germination? A meta-analysis of gut passage effects on neotropical plants

Oikos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 125 (8) ◽  
pp. 1069-1080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisieux F. Fuzessy ◽  
Tatiana G. Cornelissen ◽  
Charles Janson ◽  
Fernando A. O. Silveira
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Gut Passage ◽  
Neotropical Plants

scholarly journals Acute and chronic ozone exposure temporarily affects seed germination in alpine plants

2016 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Abeli ◽  
D. B. Guasconi ◽  
A. Mondoni ◽  
D. Dondi ◽  
A. Bentivoglio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Alpine Plants ◽  
Ozone Exposure

A meta-analysis of the effects of frugivory (endozoochory) on seed germination: role of seed size and kind of dormancy

Plant Ecology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 219 (11) ◽  
pp. 1283-1294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Soltani ◽  
Carol C. Baskin ◽  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Siavash Heshmati ◽  
Marieh S. Mirfazeli
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seed Size ◽  
Meta Analysis

scholarly journals Frugivory and seed dispersal in a hyperdiverse plant clade and its role as a keystone resource for the Neotropical fauna

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Vitor S Messeder ◽  
Fernando A O Silveira ◽  
Tatiana G Cornelissen ◽  
Lisieux F Fuzessy ◽  
Tadeu J Guerra
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Gut Passage ◽  
Dispersal Mechanism ◽  
Neotropical Fauna ◽  
Coexisting Species ◽  
Seed Handling

Abstract Background and Aims Much of our understanding of the ecology and evolution of seed dispersal in the Neotropics is founded on studies involving the animal-dispersed, hyperdiverse plant clade Miconia (Melastomataceae). Nonetheless, no formal attempt has been made to establish its relevance as a model system or indeed provide evidence of the role of frugivores as Miconia seed dispersers. Methods We built three Miconia databases (fruit phenology/diaspore traits, fruit–frugivore interactions and effects on seed germination after gut passage) to determine how Miconia fruiting phenology and fruit traits for >350 species interact with and shape patterns of frugivore selection. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis evaluating the effects of animal gut passage/seed handling on Miconia germination. Key Results Miconia produce numerous small berries that enclose numerous tiny seeds within water- and sugar-rich pulps. In addition, coexisting species provide sequential, year long availability of fruits within communities, with many species producing fruits in periods of resource scarcity. From 2396 pairwise interactions, we identified 646 animal frugivore species in five classes, 22 orders and 60 families, including birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and ants that consume Miconia fruits. Endozoochory is the main dispersal mechanism, but gut passage effects on germination were specific to animal clades; birds, monkeys and ants reduced seed germination percentages, while opossums increased it. Conclusions The sequential fruiting phenologies and wide taxonomic and functional diversity of animal vectors associated with Miconia fruits underscore the likely keystone role that this plant clade plays in the Neotropics. By producing fruits morphologically and chemically accessible to a variety of animals, Miconia species ensure short- and long-distance seed dispersal and constitute reliable resources that sustain entire frugivore assemblages.

scholarly journals Frugivore gut passage increases seed germination: an updated meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haldre S Rogers ◽  
Brittany R Cavazos ◽  
Ann Marie Gawel ◽  
Alex T Karnish ◽  
Courtenay A Ray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Gut Passage ◽  
Multiple Predictor ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Pulp Removal

Many plants rely on animal mutualists for reproduction. Quantifying how animal mutualists impact plant performance provides a foundation for modelling how change in animal communities affects the composition and functioning of plant communities. We performed a meta-analysis of 2539 experiments, 6 times more than the last comprehensive meta-analysis, examining how gut passage by frugivores influences seed germination. We simultaneously analyzed multiple predictor variables related to study methodology, location, and frugivore identity to disentangle methodological from ecological impacts on effect sizes. We found that gut passage by birds, fish, reptiles, bats, primates, and other mammals on average increased seed germination, but that the magnitude varied across vertebrate groups. The positive effects of gut passage were largely explained by the de-inhibitory effects of pulp removal rather than by the scarification of seed tissues. Some previous studies and meta-analyses that found no effect of gut passage only tested scarification or did not distinguish between these tests of scarification and pulp removal. We found that, for a typical fleshy-fruited plant species, the lack of gut passage reduces germination by 60%. From an evolutionary perspective, this indicates a large risk associated with reliance on animal mutualists that is balanced against the benefits of animal-mediated seed dispersal. From a conservation perspective, this highlights the potential for large demographic consequences of frugivore declines on plant populations. Our database and findings advance quantitative predictions for the role of fruit-frugivore interactions in shaping plant communities in the Anthropocene.

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