Germination ecology of coastal plants in relation to salt environment |
| |
Authors: | Shigeru Mariko Naoki Kachi Shin-ichi Ishikawa Akio Furukawa |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Global Environment Research Division, The National Institute for Environmental Studies, 305 Tsukuba, Japan;(2) Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 305 Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan |
| |
Abstract: | Responses of seed germination to salinity were examined using 37 species collected from salt marshes, cliffs, and fore (unstable)
and hind (stable) sand dunes along Japanese coasts. For comparison, seed germination of nine inland species was also examined.
The soil salinities in salt marshes ranged from 150 to 300 mmol/L NaCl, whereas those in fore and hind dunes ranged from 0
to 150 mmol/L NaCl, with a few exceptions. Cliff soils showed relatively high salinities up to 300 mmol/L NaCl. Ciff and foredune
soils that encountered a typhoon and storm showed high salinities >300 mmol/L NaCl. Salt tolerance in seed germination of
coastal plants was ordered by comparing the responses of percentage and rate of germination to salinity conditions up to 200
mmol/L NaCl, being in the order of salt marsh>cliff>foredune≅hind dune≅inland. Thse results indicate that salt tolerance in
seed germination of coastal plants is closely related to the salinity conditions of their habitats. Germination experiments
under favorable conditions showed that a high percentage of the seeds of salt marsh species germinate rapidly, those of diff
species germinate slowly and those of foredune species exhibit a low percentage and low rate of germination. It seems that
these germination characteristics contribute to the success of germination at the ‘safe site’ and the subsequent survivorship
of emerged plants in their natural habitats. |
| |
Keywords: | coastal plants comparative ecology germination salt environment salt tolerance |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|