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Seed germination ecology in southwestern Western Australia

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Abstract

Germination responses of species from the native plant communities of southwestern Western Australia can be related to syndromes of life history, fire response, and seed storage, and also to factors related to environmental stress. The Mediterranean-type climate of the region with periodic drought and recurrent fires affects the production of viable seeds in plants of limited stature and rooting depth. Fire response ephemerals and species cued to flower by fire tend to produce viable, readily germinable seeds, but there are instances where seed production is aborted in these predominantly herbaceous life forms. Clonal, rhizomatous species often produce mainly inviable seeds. Production of viable seeds in woody species of these highly diverse communities may also be restricted by limitations to cross pollination. Obligate post-fire seeding species tend to produce a greater proportion of viable seeds than species which are capable of resprouting following fire. Serotinous species, whether post-fire re-seeders or post-fire resprouting species, produce mainly viable seeds, which germinate readily once freed from protective fruits. Species of the legume families and a few others of the soil seed bank produce innately dormant seeds which can be germinated following heat shock treatments which simulate the effects of fire. Heat shock in these species appears mainly as a mechanism to crack the hard seed coats, but the effect of heat to denature seed coat inhibitors has not been eliminated. Western Australian species do not seem to break dormancy when exposed to leachates from burned wood as has been observed in comparable habitats in California and South Africa, but further research is advised. Germination in many native southwestern Australian species is cued by temperatures that correspond to the winter rainfall period. There are also indications that an after-ripening period of warm, dry storage increases percentage of germinable seeds. Stimulation of germination by hormones is almost unresearched in Western Australia, but germination percentages have been increased in a small number of species of horticultural potential. Stimulation of germination by soil nutrient concentrations is almost unresearched in Western Australia, except for the inhibitory effect of excess sodium chloride levels inEucalyptus andMelaleuca. These species only germinate when osmotic effects are reduced to lower levels as would occur when winter rains dilute soil salts. Application of research on seed germination has already enhanced the establishment of seedlings in the restoration of mine sites and is becoming important in aspects of the breeding and selection of native plants for the cut flower, bedding plant and essential oil industries.

Abstrakt

Das Keimverhalten von Arten der nativen Pflanzengesellschaften aus dem Südwesten Westaustraliens kann mit Syndromen ihrer Entwicklung, dem Verhalten gegen Waldbrände, der Speicherung in Samen und auch mit Umwelt-Sressfaktoren in Verbindung gebracht werden. Das mediterrane Klima dieser Region mit regelmäßiger Trockenheit und wiederholt auftretenden Bränden beeinflußt die Produktion keimfähiger Samen bei kleineren Pflanzen mit geringer Wurzeltiefe. Wadbrand-Ephemere und Arten, die nach Feuer blühen, produzieren im allgemeinen rasch keimende Samen, jedoch kann die Samenproduktion unter Umständen bei diesen vorwiegend krautigen Lebensformen fehlschlagen. Klonbildende Arten mit Rhizomen erzeugen im wesentlichen nicht keimfähige Samen. Bei holzigen Arten dieser enorm mannigfaltigen Pflanzengesellschaften kann die Produktion keimfähiger Samen auch durch Erfordernis einer Fremdbestäubung begrenzt sein. Obligat nach Feuer aussamende Arten tragen tendenziell einen größeren Anteil keimfähiger Samen als Arten, die nach Feuer regenerieren können. Serotine (bradykarpe) Arten mit langsam öffnenden Früchten, seien es nach Feuer aus Samen keimende ‘reseeders’ oder regenierende ‘resprouters,’ produzieren im wesentlichen keimfähige Samen, die rasch, sobald sie aus den schützenden Früchten befreit sind, keimen. Leguminosenarten und einige andere produzieren von Natur aus ruhende Samen, die nach einer die Wirkung von Feuer simulierenden Hitzeschockbehandlung zum Keimen gebracht weren können. Bei diesen Arten scheint Hitzeschock vor allem ein Mechanismus zu sein, der die harte Testa sprengt, aber eine Auswirkung von Hitze auf eine Denaturierung von Keimungshemmern konnte nicht ausgeschlossen werden. Bei westaustralischen Arten scheint die Keimruhe nicht durch eine Wirkung von Eluaten aus verbranntem Holz gebrochen zu werden, wie dies auf vergleichbaren Standorten in Kalifornien und Südafrika beobachtet wurde; weitere Untersuchungen sind freilich erforderlich. Die Samenkeimung vieler in Südwestaustralien einheimischer Arten wird durch Temperaturen ausgelöst, die der Winterregenperiode entsprechen. Es gibt auch Hinweise, daß eine Nachreifeperiode mit warmer, trockener Lagerung die prozentuale Keimfähigkeit erhöht. Eine hormoneile Keimförderung ist bislang fast nicht in Westaustralien untersucht worden, aber bei einer kleinen Anzahl von gartenbaulich interessierenden Arten konnte die Keimfähigkeit erhöht werden. Auch eine Keimförderung durch Bodennährstoffkonzentrationen ist in Westaustralien so gut wie nicht untersucht, abgesehen von hemmender Wirkung exzessiver Natriumchloridkonzentrationen beiEucalyptus undMelaleuca. Samen dieser Arten keimen nur, wenn die osmotischen Bedingungen soweit erniedrigt werden, wie es geschieht, wenn Winterregen Bodensalze verdünnen. Die Anwendung der Untersuchungen der Samenkeimung hat bereits das erfolgreiche Anwachsen von Sämlingen bei der Wiederbegrünung ehemaliger Gruben verbessert und wird ein wichtiger Aspekt bei Zucht und Auslese einheimischer Pflanzen zur Nutzung als Schnittblumen, Gartenpflanzen und beim Anbau für die Nutzung ätherischer Öle sein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, The University of Western Australia, 6009, Nedlands, W.A., Australia

    David T. Bell

  2. Department of Horticultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 6009, Nedlands, W.A., Australia

    Julie A. Plummer

  3. Environmental Department, Alcoa of Australia Ltd., P.O. Box 252, 6153, Applecross, W.A., Australia

    Susan K. Taylor

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Bell, D.T., Plummer, J.A. & Taylor, S.K. Seed germination ecology in southwestern Western Australia. Bot. Rev 59, 24–73 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02856612

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