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Seed size and germination response: a relationship for fire-following plant species exposed to thermal shock

Seed size and germination response: a relationship for fire-following plant species exposed to thermal shock
Seed size and germination response: a relationship for fire-following plant species exposed to thermal shock
Thermal shock is well known to be an important stimulus for the germination of soil-stored seeds in fire-prone plant communities. Nevertheless, while the overall germination response of different species is known to vary, the interaction between seed size and germination to a range of thermal-shock temperatures is poorly understood. This interaction may be important in regulating post-fire plant community establishment, since larger seeds are able to emerge from deeper within the soil profile than smaller seeds, and are therefore likely to be insulated against high above-ground temperatures by a deeper soil covering. In this experiment we examined how germination of eight co-occurring Western Australian fire-followers was influenced by thermal shock, and whether germination was significantly correlated with seed size. We found that small-seeded species not only showed enhanced germination at higher temperatures, but that their ability to germinate at higher temperatures was also greater than that displayed by larger-seeded species. These findings suggest that while seed size may be a useful general predictor of post-fire recruitment success, under different fire regimes the interaction between seed size, maximum seedling emergence depth, and the ability to withstand different thermal-shock temperatures is complex and may confound recent predictive models.
emergence, Fabaceae, fire ecology, heat shock, post-fire regeneration
0029-8549
18-22
Hanley, M.E.
a79f009e-eeb2-48e6-95bd-4eb4b3baf292
Unna, J.E.
b5fffc21-6aef-4d71-bddb-d323c835577b
Darvil, B.
e3622456-7fda-4a08-8823-559b85c3c8cc
Hanley, M.E.
a79f009e-eeb2-48e6-95bd-4eb4b3baf292
Unna, J.E.
b5fffc21-6aef-4d71-bddb-d323c835577b
Darvil, B.
e3622456-7fda-4a08-8823-559b85c3c8cc

Hanley, M.E., Unna, J.E. and Darvil, B. (2003) Seed size and germination response: a relationship for fire-following plant species exposed to thermal shock. Oecologia, 134 (1), 18-22. (doi:10.1007/s00442-002-1094-2).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Thermal shock is well known to be an important stimulus for the germination of soil-stored seeds in fire-prone plant communities. Nevertheless, while the overall germination response of different species is known to vary, the interaction between seed size and germination to a range of thermal-shock temperatures is poorly understood. This interaction may be important in regulating post-fire plant community establishment, since larger seeds are able to emerge from deeper within the soil profile than smaller seeds, and are therefore likely to be insulated against high above-ground temperatures by a deeper soil covering. In this experiment we examined how germination of eight co-occurring Western Australian fire-followers was influenced by thermal shock, and whether germination was significantly correlated with seed size. We found that small-seeded species not only showed enhanced germination at higher temperatures, but that their ability to germinate at higher temperatures was also greater than that displayed by larger-seeded species. These findings suggest that while seed size may be a useful general predictor of post-fire recruitment success, under different fire regimes the interaction between seed size, maximum seedling emergence depth, and the ability to withstand different thermal-shock temperatures is complex and may confound recent predictive models.

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More information

Submitted date: 22 December 2001
Published date: January 2003
Keywords: emergence, Fabaceae, fire ecology, heat shock, post-fire regeneration

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 58108
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/58108
ISSN: 0029-8549
PURE UUID: 80c430ee-6445-4d58-abf1-47a2aefaf116

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Date deposited: 12 Aug 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 11:10

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Contributors

Author: M.E. Hanley
Author: J.E. Unna
Author: B. Darvil

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