Seed response to temperature of Mexican cacti species from two life forms: an ecophysiological interpretation

The effect of seven different constant temperatures and five ranges of alternating temperatures on seed germination of seven species of cacti from Puebla, México was analyzed. Six cacti species germinated in a wide range of temperature. Columnar cacti were more tolerant to low temperatures and germinated in a wider range of temperature than barrel cacti. One of the barrel cacti studied (Ferocactus recurvus) only reached full germination at 25 °C . Temperature fluctuations did not produce significant effects on germination compared to the results obtained at constant temperatures. This may reveal differing ecophysiological adaptations with respect to temperature requirements during the establishment conditions for each life form. Columnar cacti may become established mainly under the shade of desert shrubs, whereas barrel cacti maybe can also become established in open areas, beneath the shade of small rocks or soil irregularities. In both cases, temperature fluctuations are attenuated by the shade, but mean temperatures may be higher in the second condition than beneath the shade of plants.     

Azospirillum lipoferum strain AZm5 containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase improves early growth of tomato seedlings under nitrogen deficiency

In this study we evaluated the ability of two wild strains of Azospirillum, A. lipoferum AZm5 and A. brasilense VS9, to produce ACC deaminase. We tested the effects of a deficiency and medium doses of nitrogenous fertilizers on the growth and physiology of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv. ACE VF55) inoculated with both Azospirillum strains independently. Tomato plants were evaluated by root elongation assay and grown in pot soil culture with different nitrogen levels (0 kg N ha^–1 and 170 kg N ha^–1). The root:shoot ratio (R:S) and some ecophysiological traits were determined after 42 days of plant growth. Results showed very different physiological characteristics in both strains. We found three relevant aspects related to the AZm5 strain: it produces high amounts of cytokinins, it contains the gene acdS, which encodes ACC deaminase, and it promotes plant growth. We conclude that AZm5 maybe useful to increase N uptake in N-deficient soil by production of cytokinins and the promotion of ACC deaminase activity, which favored leaf expansion and higher leaf N investment. Therefore, for tomato culture, a simultaneous biofertilization with AZm5 and a relatively low fertilization with N (170 kg N ha^–1) to promote AZm5 activity could be advantageous.     

Seed anatomy and water uptake in relation to seed dormancy in Opuntia tomentosa (Cactaceae, Opuntioideae)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is considerable confusion in the literature concerning impermeability of seeds with 'hard' seed coats, because the ability to take up (imbibe) water has not been tested in most of them. Seeds of Opuntia tomentosa were reported recently to have a water-impermeable seed coat sensu lato (i.e. physical dormancy), in combination with physiological dormancy. However, physical dormancy is not known to occur in Cactaceae. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if seeds of O. tomentosa are water-permeable or water-impermeable, i.e. if they have physical dormancy. METHODS: The micromorphology of the seed coat and associated structures were characterized by SEM and light microscopy. Permeability of the seed-covering layers was assessed by an increase in mass of seeds on a wet substrate and by dye-tracking and uptake of tritiated water by intact versus scarified seeds. KEY RESULTS: A germination valve and a water channel are formed in the hilum-micropyle region during dehydration and ageing in seeds of O. tomentosa. The funicular envelope undoubtedly plays a role in germination of Opuntia seeds via restriction of water uptake and mechanical resistance to expansion of the embryo. However, seeds do not exhibit any of three features characteristic of those with physical dormancy. Thus, they do not have a water-impermeable layer(s) of palisade cells (macrosclereids) or a water gap sensu stricto and they imbibe water without the seed coat being disrupted. CONCLUSIONS: Although dormancy in seeds of this species can be broken by scarification, they have physiological dormancy only. Further, based on information in the literature, it is concluded that it is unlikely that any species of Opuntia has physical dormancy. This is the first integrative study of the anatomy, dynamics of water uptake and dormancy in seeds of Cactaceae subfamily Opuntioideae.     

Temperature and water requirements for germination and effects of discontinuous hydration on germinated seed survival in Tillandsia recurvata L.

Tillandsia recurvata is an epiphytic bromeliad with a wide distribution in the Americas; however, little is known about the development of its post-seminal adaptations for survival in epiphytic environments. The purpose of this study was to define the temperature and water requirements for the germination of T. recurvata seeds. The absence of radicle emergence in T. recurvata seeds resulted in 2?stages of germination: swollen with broken seed coat (stage-1) and chlorophyllic embryos (stage-2). The effects of partial or discontinuous hydration on germinated seed survival were also assessed. The seeds were collected in a semi-arid shrubland of Mexico City. We explored: (1) whether water vapour can provide a sufficient water source for germination; (2) the temperature required for germination stage-1 and the optimal and critical osmotic potentials for germination in both germination stages; (3) the effect of seed incubation at different osmotic potentials that undergo subsequent dehydration on their survival in stage-2; and (4) the loss of dehydration tolerance during early post-seminal development. In addition, an image of T. recurvata seed anatomy was obtained to illustrate its structures. Germination stage-1 of T. recurvata seeds is rather similar across the tested temperature range. The seeds required to be in contact with liquid water to germinate. The interval of osmotic potential facilitating both germination stages was from 0 to ?0.6?MPa. Although germinated seeds displayed dehydration tolerance, this tolerance decreased in germination stage-2. The osmotic potential during germination affected the tolerance of the chlorophyllic embryos (stage-2) to subsequent dehydration.     

Germination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sedum oxypetalum</Emphasis> (Crassulaceae) in a primary lava-field shrubland

Sedum oxypetalum is one of the dominant species in the xerophilous shrublands in the lava fields of the Basin of Mexico. Germination of this species was evaluated to understand its ecological response. We tested the effects of different pre-germination treatments (cold, and dry and wet heat) and storage time, as well as those of natural priming in two microhabitats with different disturbance levels. Experiments were performed in laboratory conditions under constant (25 °C) and fluctuating (20/30 °C) temperatures. Seeds did not germinate during burial and proved to be positively photoblastic. Under pre-germination treatments, final germination percentage was higher at 20/30 °C in seeds after four or more months of storage. None of the pre-germination treatments favored germination. Seeds can survive for more than 1 year and form a seed bank. Thus, seeds underwent natural priming that favored final germination percentage; however, germination rate and lag time were not affected by this process. In natural conditions, germination is delayed until the rainy season, improving the success of seedling establishment and growth. We discuss the role of fluctuating temperature in germination processes and the adaptations of seeds to their seasonal environment.     

Seed reserve composition in 19 tree species of a tropical deciduous forest in Mexico and its relationship to seed germination and seedling growth

Background and Aims

The size and composition of seed reserves may reflect the ecological strategy and evolutionary history of a species and also temporal variation in resource availability. The seed mass and composition of seed reserves of 19 co-existing tree species were studied, and we examined how they varied among species in relation to germination and seedling growth rates, as well as between two years with contrasting precipitation (652 and 384 mm).

Methods

Seeds were collected from a tropical deciduous forest in the northwest of Mexico (Chamela Biological Station). The seed dry mass, with and without the seed coat, and the concentrations of lipids, nitrogen and non-structural carbohydrates for the seed minus seed coat were determined. The anatomical localization of these reserves was examined using histochemical analysis. The germination capacity, rate and lag time were determined. The correlations among these variables, and their relationship to previously reported seedling relative growth rates, were evaluated with and without phylogenetic consideration.

Key Results

There were interannual differences in seed mass and reserve composition. Seed was significantly heavier after the drier year in five species. Nitrogen concentration was positively correlated with seed coat fraction, and was significantly higher after the drier year in 12 species. The rate and lag time of germination were negatively correlated with each other. These trait correlations were also supported for phylogenetic independent contrasts. Principal component analysis supported these correlations, and indicated a negative association of seedling relative growth rate with seed size, and a positive association of germination rate with nitrogen and lipid concentrations.

Conclusions

Nitrogen concentration tended to be higher after the drier year and, while interannual variations in seed size and reserve composition were not sufficient to affect interspecific correlations among seed and seedling traits, some of the reserves were related to germination variables and seedling relative growth rate.     

Seed reserve translocation and early seedling growth of eight tree species in a tropical deciduous forest in Mexico

Seed reserves play an essential role during germination and seedling establishment and are particularly important for species that grow in seasonal ecosystems with a short growing season. In this study, we examined (a) how and when the seedlings change their dependence from seed resources to external resources, (b) the lipid, nitrogen, and non-structural carbohydrate reserve translocation from seeds to seedlings over time, and (c) whether reserve translocation may be correlated to cotyledon and leaf lifespan of seedlings for eight tree species in a tropical deciduous forest in north-western Mexico. Our results showed that the cotyledon lifespan was not related to the cotyledon type (photosynthetic or reserve) and that the cotyledon biomass did not decrease significantly until germination. In six of the eight studied species, biomass allocation to the leaves was favored; lipids were the first reserve exhausted before the first leaves were totally expanded in seven of the eight study species. Species with the highest N concentration had expanded leaves and lost their cotyledons faster than species with a low N concentration. Our results suggest that tropical deciduous forest species employ different strategies to survive the dry season and re-sprout in the next growing season mediated by seed reserve concentrations, translocation patterns and subsequent biomass allocation.     

Stomatal conductance in a tropical xerophilous shrubland at a lava substratum

Diurnal variation in leaf stomatal conductance (g _s) of three xerophilous species (Buddleia cordata, Senecio praecox and Dodonaea viscosa) was measured over a 10-month period during the dry and wet seasons in a shrubland that is developing in a lava substratum in Mexico. Averaged stomatal conductances were 147 and 60.2 (B. cordata), 145 and 24.8 (D. viscosa) and 142.8 and 14.1 mmol m^–2 s^–1 (S. praecox) during the wet and dry season respectively. Leaf water potential () varied in a range of –0.6 to –1.2 (S. praecox), –0.6 to –1.8 (B. cordata) and –0.9 to –3.4 MPa (D. viscosa) during the same measurement periods. Stomata were more sensitive to changes in irradiance, air temperature and leaf–air vapour pressure difference in the rainy season than the dry season. Although stomatal responses to were difficult to distinguish in any season (dry or rainy), data for the entire period of measurement showed a positive correlation, stomata tending to open as increased, but there is strong evidence of isohydric behaviour in S. praecox and B. cordata. A multiplicative model relating g _s to environmental variables and to accounted for 79%–83% of the variation of g _s in three sites (pooled data); however, the performance of the model was poorer (60%–76%) for individual species from other sites not included in the pooled data.     

Seed germination of a tropical rain forest pioneer tree (Heliocarpus donnell-smithii) in response to diurnal fluctuation of temperature

The tropical rain forest pioneer tree Heliocarpus donnell-smithii Rose establishes itself only in light gaps of the forest canopy. A series of experiments with fluctuating temperatures have shown that the germination is increased if the temperature rises above 31°C during a few hours each day. The laboratory experiments were complemented with determinations of the seed viability in the soil each month during one year, and with determinations of germination under the natural diurnal fluctuation of temperature in a forest gap. Germination increases under fluctuating temperatures, and the seeds can remain dormant when buried in the soil during several months. The diurnal heating of the soil of light gaps as contrasted with the almost constant temperature under undisturbed canopies may be a precise environmental indicator of appropriate conditions for germination and establishment of the pioneer heliophytes of the rain forest.