Ecological correlations between the persistence of the soil seed bank and several plant traits,including seed dormancy |
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Authors: | Yukio Honda |
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Institution: | (1) Experimental Station for Landscape Plants, The University of Tokyo, 1051 Hata-machi, Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba 262-0018, Japan |
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Abstract: | It was empirically showed that seed size and life history correlate with the formation of a soil seed bank. Although no empirical
data are available that indicate a close relationship between seed dormancy and the soil seed bank, dormancy has been considered
essential to the formation of a soil seed bank. I have considered the formation of the soil seed bank and survival of seeds
for more than a year in the soil, and the persistence and survival of the seed bank for more than 5 years. These periods were
derived from the definition of a persistent seed bank and the criterion for seed banks of long-term persistence. Plant traits
that are closely related to the formation or persistence of a seed bank and their relationships to dormancy were analysed
using two pre-existing databases of seed longevity in soil and comparative ecology. The integrated database comprised 18 plant
traits and seed bank formation or persistence data. This approach was used to identify more reliable general empirical rules.
The results of a regression tree analysis and common statistical tests of plant traits indicated that only life history and
seed size were closely related to seed bank formation, and dormancy was not essential for the formation and persistence of
a seed bank. However, the contribution of dormancy differed slightly between dormancy types. Scarification or dry storage
requirements to break dormancy slightly enhanced the formation and persistence of a seed bank, whereas a chilling requirement
decreased the formation and persistence of a seed bank. In contrast, fluctuating temperature requirements clearly contributed
to the formation and persistence of a seed bank. |
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Keywords: | Germination Life history Seed longevity Seed persistence Seed mass |
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