Seed bank persistence of clonal weeds in contrasting habitats: implications for control |
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Authors: | Elze Hesse Mark Rees Heinz Müller-Schärer |
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Institution: | (1) Unit of Ecology & Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland;(2) Present address: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK;(3) Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, S10 2TN Sheffield, UK |
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Abstract: | The ability of weeds to form a seed bank is important for their population dynamics and management because it provides a refuge
enabling reinvasion after established target plants have died. However, knowledge of the differential seed behaviour of individual
species over multiple years and varying environmental conditions is surprisingly rare but necessary for effective control
of diverse weed populations. We established a seed burial experiment in alpine habitats differing in management regime (i.e.,
forest, hay meadow and pasture) to determine whether seeds of the unpalatable perennial weeds, Veratrum album (white hellebore) and Gentiana lutea (yellow gentian) were able to delay germination and remain viable over 3 years. Our study shows that both species formed
a short-term persistent seed bank; in the third-year, the soil seed banks of both species were nearly depleted, having declined
to <5% of their original size. Both species had strikingly different germination strategies: G. lutea seeds mainly germinated in their first-year, whilst the majority of V. album seeds germinated in their second-year. The fraction of dormant G. lutea seeds increased with seed age, indicating that seeds remained viable after forgoing germination in the previous year. Habitat-specific
differences in seed germination increased with seed age, with germination fractions being lowest in moist hay meadows. This
suggests that the negative effects of anoxic conditions became more pronounced as seeds aged in hay meadows. Conversely, seed
dormancy was equal among habitats. The absence of a long-term persistent seed bank has important implications for the management
of both nuisance and endangered-plant populations. In the case of V. album and G. lutea, re-colonization of habitats from the seed bank is unlikely after established plants have been removed. |
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Keywords: | Alteration grassland management Artificial seed burial Gentiana Infestations Short-term persistent seed bank Veratrum |
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