Leaf litter of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kageneckia angustifolia</Emphasis> D. Don (Rosaceae) inhibits seed germination in sclerophyllous montane woodlands of central Chile |
| |
Authors: | Lohengrin A Cavieres Paulina Chacón Alejandro Peñaloza Marco Molina-Montenegro Mary T K Arroyo |
| |
Institution: | (1) Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, 160-C Casilla, Concepción, Chile;(2) Poch Ambiental S.A., Santiago, Chile;(3) Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, 653 Casilla, Santiago, Chile |
| |
Abstract: | Leaf litter accumulation can have either positive, negative or neutral effects on seed germination and seedling recruitment.
In montane woodlands of the Mediterranean zone of central Chile, large amounts of leaf litter accumulate beneath the crowns
of the summer semi-deciduous tree Kageneckia angustifolia and no regeneration of this or other plant species has been observed beneath this tree throughout the year. In a sample plot
of 5000 m2 we selected ten K. angustifolia trees and measured (1) leaf litter accumulation beneath and outside canopy; (2) the effects of time elapsed since burial
on viability of K. angustifolia seeds with and without a leaf litter cover; (3) field seed germination with presence or absence of leaf litter and (4) the
possible chemical effects of K. angustifolia leaf litter leachates on seed germination of its own seeds and of other two co-occurring native shrubs species (Guindilia trinervis and Solanum ligustrinum). Our results show that a considerable accumulation of leaf litter occurred beneath K. angustifolia, and litter negatively affected seed viability and germination of this species in the field. Under laboratory conditions,
K. angustifolia leaf litter leachates inhibited seed germination of its own seeds and of the two native shrub species. Chemical effects are
likely involved in the negative effects of leaf litter on the recruitment of K. angustifolia in the montane sclerophyllous woodland of central Chile. |
| |
Keywords: | Leachate Leaf litter inhibition Montane sclerophyllous woodland |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|