Variability in seed germination and seedling growth at the intra- and inter-provenance levels of Nothofagus glauca (Lophozonia glauca), an endemic species of Central Chile

Abstract

Background: Patterns of seed germination and subsequent seedling growth of the endemic species Nothofagus glauca (Phil.) Krasser (Lophozonia glauca) (Hualo) were studied in two provenances from Mediterranean Central Chile (pre-Andean mountain range provenance and coastal range provenance). The main aim of the study was to determine differences in seed germination and seedling growth at the intra-and inter-provenance levels. Methods: The experiment was carried out with seeds from two provenances and four to five different sites from each provenance. Seed germination tests were conducted in 10 × 1 m beds in a greenhouse. Germinated seeds were sown in 140-mL containers and cultivated under nursery conditions for 8 months. After that period, growth and survival were measured. Results: Germination, growth and survival were highly variable at the intra-provenance level. Sites from the pre-Andean mountain range provenance exhibited lower germination capacity (33.1%) and seedling survival (76.3%) than sites from the Coastal range provenance (40.2 and 91.3%, respectively). Conclusions: Provenance variability was important for seed mass and germination, and seedling survival, while intra-provenance variability was systematically higher, whatever the functional trait considered, indicating a high potential capacity of the species to adapt to climate change. This intra-provenance variability must be conserved with the use of local seed. In our case, pre-Andean sites must be established in high-elevation environments, while coastal provenances must be restricted to more lowland and coastal environments.

The Effect of Seed Size on Germination and Seedling Growth in Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.)

“…The mentioned authors [33] revealed that the Mediterranean population Buje exhibits clear genetic differentiation from other Croatian coastal populations. A similar effect of genetic variability on seedling growth was noted for several other species [34][35][36][37]. In this research, we found no evidence of a decisive influence of seed weight on germination performance, with only extremely low correlations being observed between these two parameters (Table 3).…”

Effect of pre-germinative treatments on <i>Nothofagus glauca</i> seed germination and seedling growth

“…The reported germination percentages differ but this may be explained by differences in season of collection, the mast seeding habit of the species, and the geographical origin of seeds. Santelices et al (2017) (Pérez-Fernández and Gómez-Gutiérrez 2007). For those species with seeds that show dormancy, it is advisable to develop effective strategies to ensure a greater and more homogenous percentage of germination and uniform seedling development.…”

Geographic patterns of seed trait variation in an invasive species: how much can close populations differ?

“…Intrapopulation variability in germination is common as a result of genetic factors and climate variability during seed ripening (Baskin and Baskin 1973). Strong regional variability in seed germination was found in Nothofagus glauca when contrasting 9 populations from two differentiated regions in Chile revealing higher variability within regions than between them (Santelices Moya et al 2017). Germination variability together with high intraspecific variability in persistence traits may maximize plant long-term fitness through a bed-hedging strategy, ensuring regeneration at different time scales (Tielbörger et al 2011;Huang et al 2016).…”