Differences in light and temperature responses determine autumn versus spring germination for seeds of Schoenolirion croceum

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (10) ◽  
pp. 1429-1437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L Walck ◽  
Siti N Hidayati
Keyword(s):  
Soil Surface ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Light Regime ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Light Conditions ◽  
Germination Phenology ◽  
Temperature Requirements ◽  
Temperature Responses ◽  
Do So

Seeds of the southeastern North American Schoenolirion croceum (Michx.) Wood are dormant when dispersed in late spring to early summer. Fresh seeds buried in soil after dispersal germinate in autumn, whereas those sown on the soil surface do so the following late winter – early spring. To understand this difference in germination phenology, we examined the light and temperature requirements for dormancy break and germination. Seeds germinated to high percentages in darkness over 12:12 h thermoperiods ranging from 15:6 to 35:20 °C following warm stratification (25:15 °C) in darkness, whereas no seeds germinated in light following stratification in light. On the other hand, seeds germinated to high percentages in light and in darkness following cold stratification (5 °C) in light or darkness. Seeds exposed to light during autumn germinated in winter–spring regardless of the light regime in summer or winter–spring, whereas those in darkness during autumn germinated in autumn regardless of the light regime in summer. Thus, light conditions during autumn are critical for determining whether seeds will germinate in autumn versus early spring. In contrast with many other species in which germination phenology is mostly temperature controlled, timing of germination for S. croceum depends on the light conditions in relation to temperatures experienced during dormancy release.Key words: dark, germination phenology, Hyacinthaceae, negative photoblastic seeds, photoecology, seed dormancy.

Seasonal activity and estivation of lumbricid earthworms in the midlands of Tasmania

Soil Research ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
RB Garnsey
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Adult Development ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Lumbricus Rubellus ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Cocoon Production ◽  
Density And Biomass ◽  
Earthworm Activity

Earthworms have the ability to alleviate many soil degradational problems in Australia. An attempt to optimize this resource requires fundamental understanding of earthworm ecology. This study reports the seasonal changes in earthworm populations in the Midlands of Tasmania (<600 mm rainfall p.a.), and examines, for the first time in Australia, the behaviour and survival rates of aestivating earthworms. Earthworms were sampled from 14 permanent pastures in the Midlands from May 1992 to February 1994. Earthworm activity was significantly correlated with soil moisture; maximum earthworm activity in the surface soil was evident during the wetter months of winter and early spring, followed by aestivation in the surface and subsoils during the drier summer months. The two most abundant earthworm species found in the Midlands were Aporrectodea caliginosa (maximum of 174.8 m-2 or 55.06 g m-2) and A. trapezoides (86 m-2 or 52.03 g m-2), with low numbers of Octolasion cyaneum, Lumbricus rubellus and A. rosea. The phenology of A. caliginosa relating to rainfall contrasted with that of A. trapezoides in this study. A caliginosa was particularly dependent upon rainfall in the Midlands: population density, cocoon production and adult development of A. caliginosa were reduced as rainfall reduced from 600 to 425 mm p.a. In contrast, the density and biomass of A. trapezoides were unaffected by rainfall over the same range: cocoon production and adult development continued regardless of rainfall. The depth of earthworm aestivation during the summers of 1992-94 was similar in each year. Most individuals were in aestivation at a depth of 150-200 mm, regardless of species, soil moisture or texture. Smaller aestivating individuals were located nearer the soil surface, as was shown by an increase in mean mass of aestivating individuals with depth. There was a high mortality associated with summer aestivation of up to 60% for juvenile, and 63% for adult earthworms in 1993 in the Midlands. Cocoons did not survive during the summers of 1992 or 1994, but were recovered in 1993, possibly due to the influence of rainfall during late winter and early spring.

scholarly journals Abundance and diversity of soil arthropods and fungi in shelterbelts integrated with pastures in the central tablelands of New South Wales, Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (No. 12) ◽  
pp. 560-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.W. Mbuthia ◽  
J.H. Shariff ◽  
A. Raman ◽  
D.S. Hodgkins ◽  
H.I. Nicol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Soil Arthropods ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
The Relationship

Shelterbelts are important for the sustainability of agriculture because they provide a variety of benefits to farmers and the society. Several published papers demonstrate that integration of shelterbelts with agroecosystems offers positive outcomes, such as better yield, more congenial microclimate, and greater organic matter levels. Nonetheless, soil biological diversity, the driver of greater organic matter levels, has not been convincingly tested and verified yet. In addressing this gap, we measured abundance and diversity of populations of arthropods and fungi in three<br />11-year old shelterbelts integrated with pasture to determine whether a correlation exists between the abundance of and diversity in populations of arthropods and fungi in two seasons: late autumn-early winter (May&ndash;June 2011) and late winter-early spring (August&ndash;September 2011). Litter from the soil surface and soil from two depths were sampled at increasing distance from the midpoint of shelterbelts for the extraction of arthropods and isolation culturing of fungi. The relationship among distance, depth and biodiversity of different groups of arthropods and fungi was analysed using linear regression. We found that over both seasons arthropod abundance in the litter and soil declined with increasing distance from the midpoint of the shelterbelts, and with soil depth. However, fungi abundance in either season was not affected by proximity to the shelterbelt but increased with greater soil depth. Distance from the shelterbelt midpoints did not bear an impact on the diversity richness of both arthropods and fungi.

The dynamics of Trifolium repens in a permanent pasture I. The population dynamics of leaves and nodes per shoot axis

1989 ◽  
Vol 237 (1287) ◽  
pp. 133-173 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Death Rate ◽  
Birth Rate ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
Permanent Pasture ◽  
One Year

The framework is developed for a formal quantitative analysis of the vegetative dynamics of Trifolium repens , based on partitioning the components of its growth. The method is used to describe the vegetative dynamics of T. repens in one pasture during the course of one year. Seasonal and spatial variation were analysed by regression on several environmental variables. The present paper includes only a partial analysis, covering the dynamics of leaves and nodes per shoot axis. The remainder of the analysis will be presented in subsequent papers. The production of modules per shoot axis, and the subsequent mortality of leaves, and burial and mortality of nodes, showed different patterns of spatial and seasonal variability, and different types of response to the environment. There was much seasonal and little spatial variation in rates of birth, burial and death of leaves and nodes. In contrast, there was relatively little seasonal and much spatial variation in the numbers of leaves and nodes, even though these numbers are determined by present and past births and deaths. The rate of production of leaves by individual apices varied from 0.01 per day to 0.19 per day. It appeared to be determined largely by temperature, probably of the apex, but also to some extent by genotype. Leaves survived for 1-21 weeks. The risk of leaf mortality varied with the age of the leaf, the number of sheep in the field, and the season. Leaves born in November tended to live longest, and those born in summer with many sheep shortest. At least 56% of leaves were utilized by sheep, the remainder dying from other causes. Seasonal fluctuations in death rate of leaves tended to lag three weeks behind fluctuations in birth rate, but with additional fluctuations caused by changes in grazing. The lag caused there to be a minimum of 1-5 leaves per axis in January, and a maximum of 3-12 in August, although at all times the number of leaves was increasing on some axes and decreasing on others. Axes were progressively buried by worm casts and leaf litter within 0-39 weeks of birth. The rate of burial appeared to be determined largely by earthworm activity and by treading by sheep. In autumn and early spring, nodes and internodes were buried faster than new ones were born. As a result, as few as three internodes were exposed on average in March, compared with a maximum mean of 20 in August. By late winter, some axes were entirely buried and started to grow vertically upwards towards the soil surface. Nodes survived for 14-85 weeks, the mean longevity being 51 weeks. On average, each axis bore 25 nodes, with a range of 10-49 nodes. Seasonal fluctuations in death rate lagged some 4-8 weeks behind those in birth rate. Survivial of nodes and internodes was dependent on the establishment and survival of roots. When the oldest rooted node on an axis died, all of the axis between it and the next rooted node also died. The development of pseudo-taproots increased the longevity of nodes by 100 days. Leaves had much shorter lives than their nodes. The ‘average’ shoot axis bore 3.5 nodes with leaves, 4.2 nodes still visible but without leaves, and 17.6 nodes buried beneath worm casts and litter.

Seasonal dynamics of Proteocephalus sagittus in the stone loach Barbatula barbatula from the Haná River, Czech Republic

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jarkovský ◽  
B. Koubková ◽  
T. Scholz ◽  
M. Prokeš ◽  
V. Baruš
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Seasonal Cycle ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Fish Host ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Stone Loach ◽  
Barbatula Barbatula ◽  
Infection Parameters ◽  
First Time

AbstractThe seasonal cycle of the cestode Proteocephalus sagittus (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) was studied for the first time in the stone loach Barbatula barbatula from the Haná River, Czech Republic. A total of 180 loaches were examined monthly from January to December 2001. The parasite occurred in loaches throughout the year but infection parameters differed significantly among seasons, with the highest values of prevalence and abundance from the late winter to the early summer. Parasite recruitment took place in the winter and early spring and the worms sexually matured in the late spring and early summer. In contrast to P. torulosus, the gravid worms of which laid eggs only at the end of the spring/beginning of the summer, gravid worms of P. sagittus were also found, although in low numbers, in the autumn and early winter. The rate of infection of loach with P. sagittus was neither dependent on the sex nor on the size of its fish host.

scholarly journals Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi Apothecial Development Associated With Mulch Depth and Timing of Application

Plant Disease ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 807-814
Author(s):  
Jade Florence ◽  
Jay Pscheidt
Keyword(s):  
Soil Surface ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Application Timing ◽  
Ground Treatment ◽  
Treatment Application ◽  
Blueberry Leaves

Pseudosclerotia of Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi overwinter on the soil surface and develop apothecia in early spring, supplying primary inoculum for mummy berry disease of blueberry. Burial of pseudosclerotia in soil and incubation in the dark have previously been identified as critical factors inhibiting M. vaccinii-corymbosi apothecial development. Mulches of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) sawdust at 2.5 or 5 cm depths, blueberry leaves (Vaccinium corymbosum cv. Bluetta) at a 2.5 cm depth, and a bare ground (no mulch) control were assessed for an effect on apothecial development in the spring for 2 years. Mulches were applied corresponding to pseudosclerotial overwintering stages. Loss of mulch depth was also assessed throughout the overwintering season. A 5 cm depth of Douglas-fir sawdust was associated with greater apothecial suppression in comparison with bare ground. Douglas-fir sawdust at a 2.5 cm depth varied in effectiveness, while 2.5 cm of blueberry leaves was not more effective at suppressing apothecial development than the bare ground treatment. Application timing did not affect apothecial development, but mulches lost significantly more depth when applied at the beginning of the overwintering season as compared with late winter mulches. Therefore, loss of mulch thickness due to weathering and/or decomposition may also affect apothecial development.

Population dynamics of three species of dasyurid marsupials in arid central Australia: a 10-year study

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Dickman ◽  
Adele S. Haythornthwaite ◽  
Gayle H. McNaught ◽  
Paul S. Mahon ◽  
Bobby Tamayo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Sand Ridge ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Central Australia ◽  
Simpson Desert

This study investigated the population dynamics of three species of dasyurid marsupials in sand ridge habitat of the Simpson Desert, western Queensland, over a 10-year period between March 1990 and December 1999. The lesser hairy-footed dunnart (Sminthopsis youngsoni), was captured most consistently over the period of study, followed by the wongai ningaui (Ningaui ridei), and the mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda). Rates of recapture were low (4.5–22.2%), probably because individuals of each species are very mobile. All species bred in late winter or early spring when animals were aged at least 8–10 months, and independent juveniles first appeared usually in summer. S. youngsoni reared a second litter in late spring or early summer in 3 of the 10 years studied, when the availability of food was likely to have been high; neither N. ridei nor D. cristicauda were known to attempt a second litter within a season. To explore factors that might influence population dynamics, we compared capture rates of each species with measures of rainfall, temperature, vegetation cover, abundance of predators [feral cats (Felis catus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and goannas (Varanus spp.)], dragons, other dasyurids and indices of food abundance. The abundance of S. youngsoni appeared to depend primarily on the cover of spinifex 7–9 months earlier, that of D. cristicauda was related most strongly to rainfall 7–9 months earlier, while that of N. ridei was related to minimum temperature lagged by 1–3 months. While the dynamics of other arid-zone mammals are driven demonstrably by interactions between rainfall, resource availability and predation, our findings suggest that dasyurids have limited flexibility in their life histories and are influenced more subtly and by factors such as facilitation that are just beginning to become apparent.

Ability to recover overrides the negative effects of flooding on growth of tropical grasses Chloris gayana and Panicum coloratum

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 100 ◽  
Author(s):  
José A. Imaz ◽  
Daniel O. Giménez ◽  
Agustín A. Grimoldi ◽  
Gustavo G. Striker
Keyword(s):  
Recovery Period ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Tropical Grasses ◽  
Panicum Coloratum ◽  
Flooding Event ◽  
Chloris Gayana

This study assessed the flooding tolerance of the tropical grasses Chloris gayana Kunth and Panicum coloratum L. at different times of the year: (i) late winter flooding for 50 days (WF), (ii) early spring flooding (SF) for 20 days, and (iii) long-term flooding covering both periods (WF + SF, 70 days). A growth period under well-watered conditions was allowed after each flooding event to assess recovery of plant species. Plants were harvested after each flooding event and at the end of the recovery period. Panicum coloratum had higher tolerance to WF than C. gayana. Treatment WF did not affect biomass in P. coloratum, whereas it reduced biomass of flooded plants by 38% in C. gayana. Treatment SF did not differentiate the species for tolerance; both registered moderate reduction in their growth (20–30%). Under WF + SF, C. gayana showed additional reduction in its growth over that observed when subjected separately to either WF or SF, whereas P. coloratum did not. Both species displayed remarkably fast recovery from flooding when temperatures rose during early summer, attaining biomass equivalent to that of non-flooded plants 1 month after water subsided. Therefore, although P. coloratum appears slightly more tolerant during flooding than C. gayana, both species are promising for introduction in temperate lowland grasslands.

The Effect of Temperature, Light and Gibberellic Acid (Ga3) on the Germination of Australian Everlasting Daisies (Asteraceae, Tribe Inuleae)

1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Plummer ◽  
DT Bell
Keyword(s):  
Gibberellic Acid ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Light Regime ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Extreme Temperatures ◽  
Light Conditions ◽  
Bedding Plants ◽  
Treated Seed ◽  
Germination Requirements ◽  
Survival Of Seedlings

Australian everlasting daisies have considerable potential as bedding plants, but little is known about their germination requirements. In ten taxa of everlasting daisies (Asteraceae, Tribe Inuleae) examined, germination in petri dishes was optimum over the temperature range 10-20°C with little or no germination at more extreme temperatures (5 and 30°C). Light stimulated germination in seven of the ten tare; Erymophyllum ramosum (A. Gray) Wilson, Craspedia sp., Leucochrysum fitzgibbonii (F. Muell.) Wilson, Waitzia suaveolens var. flava Wilson, Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea (Hook.) Wilson, R. chlorocephala subsp. splendida (Hemsley) Wilson and R. floribunda (DC.) Wilson. In the dark, gibberellic acid (GA3, 50 mg L-1) stimulated germination to similar levels observed in light-treated seed. Schoenia filifolia subsp. subulifolia and S. cassiniana were not affected by light regime, but in both taxa germination was improved by the addition of GA3. By contrast, germination in Rhodanthe humboldtiana, which also had no response to light, was inhibited by GA3. In most species, germination in the dark was similar over the GA3 concentration range 1-100 mg L-1, but 500 mg L-1 was often inhibitory. Germination was optimised under temperature and light conditions related to maximising survival of seedlings which germinate near the soil surface during winter in the arid interior habitat of central Australia.

Late winter – early spring sedimentation off the Great Whale River, southeastern Hudson Bay

1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 930-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. d'Anglejan ◽  
G. Biksham
Keyword(s):  
Algal Biomass ◽  
Sediment Traps ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Sedimentation Rates ◽  
Summer Period ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Peak Runoff

Sediment traps were used to measure particle-settling fluxes in serial moorings offshore of Great Whale River (Hudson Bay), both under the late winter sea-ice cover and during and after breakup. Before breakup, the settling fluxes ranged between 0.25 and 2 g cm−2 100 a−1, increasing from April to May in response to the progressively larger under-ice algal biomass. Fluxes also increased with depth. During and after breakup, including the early summer period of peak runoff, sedimentation rates increased to values of up to 33 g cm−2100 a−1. These fluxes agree with the mean sedimentation rate determined from 210Pb activities in the underlying sediments.

Sea ice conditions during an early spring voyage in the eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Polar Record ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 24 (148) ◽  
pp. 49-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Eicken ◽  
T. C. Grenfell ◽  
B. Stonehouse
Keyword(s):  
Open Water ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Weddell Sea ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Pack Ice ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Differential Expansion ◽  
Ice Pack

AbstractDuring a late winter and early spring oceanographic voyage south into the Weddell Sea the icebreaker RV Polarstern first encountered patches and bands of loose floes in 58°S; these increased over the next 150 km to form closed ice pack which extended 1000 km to the coast. Along the coast the ship encountered almost continuous shore leads and polynyas that formed repeatedly despite persistently low air and sea temperatures. These areas of open water, which are generally visible in USA NOAA and USSR METEOR satellite photographs, form under the action of strong offshore winds that carry the main body of pack ice west and southwest. Grease ice, pancake ice and nilas spreading over the open water are rafted and ridged by windgenerated stresses to double thickness or more; these kinds of ice were continually driven westward, accumulating in a distinctive zone along the eastern edge of the pack ice. Polynyas and leads narrow and disappear temporarily only when winds with northerly or westerly components bring the pack ice toward the land, and reform as soon as offshore winds predominate. Open water, often more than 15 km wide, was present close to the ship throught the spring voyage, facilitating oceanographic work as far south as 77°S. Polarstern's full icebreaking capacity was needed only occasionally when winds temporarily pressed the pack ice against the coast. The presence throughout early spring of both fast and pack ice, separated by a zone of thin ice or open water, is essential to large populations of Weddell seals, emperor penguins and whales in the area. The transect from the continent included ice pack that was undergoing early summer decay, characterized by differential expansion and melting which brought about a gradual decrease in concentration toward the ice edge.

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