Adaptation to habitat inAquilegiaspecies endemic to Sardinia (Italy): Seed dispersal, germination and persistence in the soil

Abstract

The autecology of the Sardinian endemics Aquilegia barbaricina Arrigoni et Nardi and A. nugorensis Arrigoni et Nardi were investigated. Peaks of anthesis and seed dispersal were recorded for five populations occurring in two distinct habitats, one riparian and one rupicolous. Germination tests were carried out on seed lots belonging to each population by sowing seeds at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 25/158C. In addition, seeds were incubated for 2 months at either 258C (summer), 58C (winter) or 258C for 2 months plus 2 months at 58C (summer followed by winter-SW), and then moved to the germination temperatures. Embryo measurements were taken during pre-treatments and germination. Experimental seed burials were carried out for two populations of each species. Both species dispersed in summer. The population of A. nugorensis occurring on rocky outcrops differed in phenology from both the other A. nugorensis population from riparian vegetation and from A. barbaricina. Both species showed morphophysiological seed dormancy, with 550% germination under laboratory conditions. All riparian populations germinated only after the SW pre-treatment, while the rupicolous population germinated at 258C, without any pre-treatment. Low germination percentages were observed in the experimental seed burials, suggesting the ability for both species to form a persistent soil seed bank.

Germinação de sementes de Maclura tinctoria (Moraceae) sob diferentes regimes térmicos influenciados pela luz

“…Pode também estar associada às características adaptativas e ecológicas da espécie (Daws et al 2004, Mattana et al 2012.…”

The role of GA3in the germination process of high-mountain endemic and threatened species:Leontopodium nivalePinguicula fioriiandSoldanella minimasubsp.samnitica(central Apennines, Italy)

“…Dormancy is a strategy that has been developed in many species to make sure that germination occurs during the most favourable period for the survival and development of the seedlings, to ensure the reproductive success of the species (Baskin & Baskin 1998). This strategy has been documented for several high-altitude species (Giménez-Benavides et al 2005;Jurado & Flores 2009;Schwienbacher et al 2011;Mattana et al 2012aMattana et al , 2012bMattana et al , 2012c.…”

Ecological water demand of regional vegetation: The example of the 2010 severe drought in Southwest China

“…At present, many achievements on the relation between human activities (human disturbances) and climate change in the field of regional ecology and global ecology have been obtained; however, there are few reports on the relation between vegetation types and a regional arid climate in the field of vegetation ecology, hydrology, and water resources. Nevertheless, in recent years some progress has been made in some countries regarding research on the eco-hydrological effects of vegetation and environmental protection, such as rainfall interception (Yuan et al 2002;Zhang et al 2003), surface runoff and soil erosion reduction Yang et al 2009), soil water holding (Qi et al 2012;Zhao et al 2012), droughtresistant properties (Li et al 2006;Hessini et al 2009;Miranda et al 2010), drought-response and drought-adaptive mechanisms Granier et al 2007;Jacobsen et al 2007;Liu et al 2010), survival potential under stress (Mattana et al 2012;Simões et al 2012), environmental remediation and improvement Petrou & Milios 2012), and microenvironment climate regulation (Chase et al 2000;Zhao et al 2001;Huang et al 2011;Fernández Calzado et al 2012). These reports, which involved different types of vegetation, provide a certain basis for the research on the relationship between vegetation types and a regional arid climate, which might eventually lead to a significant breakthrough in this scientific field.…”