Aspects of Peltophorum dubium Sprengel (Taubert) seeds in an aerial seed bank

Abstract

-Knowledge concerning natural regeneration strategies is important due to the effect of natural regeneration on the local ecosystem. The aim of this study was to examine the ecophysiological aspects of the Peltophorum dubium aerial seed bank. Fruits were harvested monthly, before and after seed maturation, from selected trees in the municipality of Lavras, MG, Brazil, for determination of moisture content, acquisition of tolerance to desiccation, seed viability, maintenance of dormancy, and mean germination time. Physiological maturity of the species was attained in June, when low moisture content, maximum dry matter, and high germination percentage were observed. We found that there was no change in dormancy, in germination percentage, or in the protein profile of seeds during the period they remained in the aerial seed bank. The P. dubium species creates an aerial seed bank of short serotiny, with fruits remaining attached to the tree for 9 months.

Fire as a Selective Agent for both Serotiny and Nonserotiny Over Space and Time

“…In other contexts, the concept of serotiny has been widened to include seeds retained (i) on a dead ephemeral plant where seed dispersal relies on dislodgement during highly stochastic rainfall events in desert environments (Martínez-Berdeja et al, 2015) or physical dislodgement during movement as a wind-blown 'tumbleweed' (Borger et al, 2007;Long et al, 2015), (ii) within the cladode of certain cacti (Mammillaria) that ensures the seeds become 'primed' before dislodgement by rain (Santini and Martorell, 2013), and (iii) on a living plant for up to 9 months beyond the point of reaching maturity with retention of heat-tolerant proteins during that time without any obvious environmental cue for release has been recorded in a few hard-seeded legumes (Peltophorum) (Silva et al, 2017). All these examples lack the three attributes that characterize the many hundreds of species that are the subject of this review: (a) on-plant storage of most mature seeds for at least a year, (b) retention of seeds within woody supporting structures, and (c) seed release in response to fire that may have a direct or indirect role in seed release (e.g., melting of binding resins, death of the supporting branch with associated desiccation processes).…”

Many roads to success: different combinations of life‐history traits provide accurate germination timing in seasonally dry environments

“…However, the adaptive value of this risk‐reduction strategy might be limited to specific cases, concomitant on the functional value of other traits. Many cerrado plant species exhibit multiple strategies and traits that can reduce the impact of environmental variation on fitness, such as iteroparity (less than 8% of cerrado species are annuals), resprouting and clonal reproduction (Batalha and Martins 2002, Oliveira‐Filho and Ratter 2002, Simon et al 2009) or aerial seed banks (Silva et al 2017). These mechanisms reduce the importance of dormancy to distribute recruitment across years (Rees 1996, Chen et al 2020).…”

Establishment and Natural Regeneration of Native Trees in Agroforestry Systems in the Paraguayan Atlantic Forest

“…The seedlings of the pioneers C. trichotoma and P. dubium [85,86] came from seeds of adult congeners located near the planting plots. The P. dubium species grows fast [85] and its serotinous character leads to high seed germination [87,88]. Unlike these two species, H. albus flowers at an early age (in year four), allowing the appearance of seedlings in situ, which is important because it is a threatened species in Paraguay.…”