Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T01:40:45.028Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of light and temperature on seed germination of eight Cistus species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2022

Belén Luna*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Av. Carlos III s/n, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Paula Piñas-Bonilla
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Av. Carlos III s/n, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Gonzalo Zavala
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Av. Carlos III s/n, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Beatriz Pérez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Av. Carlos III s/n, 45071 Toledo, Spain
*
*Author for Correspondence: Belén Luna, E-mail: belen.luna@uclm.es

Abstract

Cistus species have seeds with hard coats which impose physical seed dormancy that can be released after seed scarification. In fire-prone habitats, the break of physical seed dormancy is usually related to the heat produced during fires. It is commonly accepted that most hard-seeded species, including those of the genus Cistus, are able to germinate under a wide range of temperatures in light as well as in darkness, once the seed becomes permeable. However, although many studies have focused on the release of physical dormancy only, a few have done so on the effect of environmental factors once dormancy is released. In this research, through a factorial experiment, we analysed the effects of light (light and darkness) and a range of temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C) on the seed germination of eight Cistus species after a heat shock. On average, almost 60% of the seeds did not germinate despite being viable, and this lack of germination increased with higher temperatures during the treatment. Although an idiosyncratic germination response emerged, temperature had a significant effect in all the species, reaching the highest levels of germination between 10 and 20°C. Light interacted with temperature in four cases by increasing the germination, especially under the least favourable temperatures. Environmental factors, such as temperature and light, appear to modulate the germination of the studied Cistus species after the release of physical seed dormancy.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allen, H (2009) Vegetation and ecosystem dynamics, pp. 203227 in Woodward, JC (Ed.), The physical geography of the Mediterranean. Oxford, Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Arianoutsou, M and Margaris, NS (1981) Early stages of regeneration after fire in a phryganic ecosystem (East Mediterranean). I. Regeneration by seed germination. Biologie-Ecologie Méditerraneenne 8, 119128.Google Scholar
Aronne, G and Mazzoleni, S (1989) The effects of heat exposure on seeds of Cistus incanus L. and Cistus monspeliensis L. Giornale Botanico Italiano 123, 283289.Google Scholar
Baskin, CC and Baskin, JM (2014) Seeds. Ecology, biogeography and evolution of dormancy and germination. San Diego, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Baskin, JM, Baskin, CC and Li, X (2000) Taxonomy, anatomy and evolution of physical dormancy in seeds. Plant Species Biology 15, 139152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bell, DT, Rokich, DP, McChesney, CJ and Plummer, JA (1995) Effects of temperature, light and gibberellic acid on the germination of seeds of 43 species native to Western Australia. Journal of Vegetation Science 6, 797806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Black, MJ, Halmer, P and Bewley, JD (2006) The encyclopedia of seeds: science, technology and uses. London, CAB International.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradshaw, SD, Dixon, KW, Hopper, SD, Lambers, H and Turner, SR (2011) Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions. Trends in Plant Science 16, 6976.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Céspedes, B, Torres, I, Urbieta, IR and Moreno, JM (2012) Effects of changes in the timing and duration of the wet season on the germination of the of the soil seed bank of a seeder-dominated Mediterranean shrubland. Plant Ecology 213, 919931.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chamorro, D, Luna, B and Moreno, JM (2017a) Germination responses to current and future temperatures of four seeder shrubs across a latitudinal gradient in western Iberia. American Journal of Botany 104, 8391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chamorro, D, Luna, B, Ourcival, J-M, Kavgaci, A, Sirca, C, Mouillot, F, Arianoutsou, M and Moreno, JM (2017b) Germination sensitivity to water stress of four shrubby species across the Mediterranean basin. Plant Biology 19, 2331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clemente, AS, Rego, FC and Correia, OA (1996) Demographic patterns and productivity of post-fire regeneration in Portuguese Mediterranean maquis. International Journal of Wildland Fire 6, 512.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corral, R, Pita, JM and Pérez-García, F (1990) Some aspects of seed germination in four species of Cistus L. Seed Science and Technology 18, 321325.Google Scholar
De Luis, M, Verdú, M and Raventós, J (2008) Early to rise makes a plant healthy, wealthy, and wise. Ecology 89, 30613071.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donohue, K, de Casas, RR, Burghardt, L, Kovach, K and Willis, CG (2010) Germination, postgermination adaptation, and species ecological ranges. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 41, 293319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Espigares, T and Peco, B (1993) Mediterranean pasture dynamics: the role of germination. Journal of Vegetation Science 4, 189194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fernández-Pascual, E, Jiménez-Alfaro, B and Bueno, A (2017) Comparative seed germination traits in alpine and subalpine grasslands: higher elevations are associated with warmer germination temperatures. Plant Biology 19, 3240.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferrandis, P, Herranz, JM and Martínez-Sánchez, JJ (1999) Fire impact on a maquis soil seed bank in Cabañeros National Park (Central Spain). Israel Journal of Plant Sciences 47, 1726.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fielding, A, Kristie, DN and Dearman, P (1992) The temperature dependence of Pfr action governs the upper temperature limit for germination in lettuce. Photochemistry and Photobiology 56, 623627.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gama-Arachchige, NS, Baskin, JM, Geneve, RL and Baskin, CC (2013) Identification and characterization of ten new water gaps in seeds and fruits with physical dormancy and classification of water-gap complexes. Annals of Botany 112, 6984.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
García-Martínez, JL and Gil, J (2002) Light regulation of gibberellin biosynthesis and mode of action. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 20, 354368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geneve, RL, Baskin, CC, Baskin, JM, Jayasuriya, KMGG and Gama-Arachchige, NS (2018) Functional morpho-anatomy of water-gap complexes in physically dormant seed. Seed Science Research 28, 186191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghaderi-Far, F, Coşgun, ZL, Değirmenci, , Tüysüz, İ, Ülgen, C and Tavşanoğlu, Ç (2021) Light and temperature requirements for germination in the Mediterranean shrub Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae). Plant Biology 23, 992999.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giménez-Benavides, L, Escudero, A and Pérez-García, F (2005) Seed germination of high mountain Mediterranean species: altitudinal, interpopulation and interannual variability. Ecological Research 20, 433444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herranz, JM, Ferrandis, P and Martínez-Sánchez, JJ (1999) Influence of heat on seed germination of nine woody Cistaceae species. International Journal of Wildland Fire 9, 173182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heschel, MS, Selby, J, Butler, C, Whitelam, GC, Sharrock, RA and Donohue, K (2007) A new role for phytochromes in temperature-dependent germination. New Phytologist 174, 735741.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hills, PN and Van Staden, J (2003) Thermoinhibition of seed germination. South African Journal of Botany 69, 455461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hudson, AR, Ayre, DJ and Ooi, MKJ (2015) Physical dormancy in a changing climate. Seed Science Research 25, 6681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaganathan, GK (2015) Are wildfires an adapted ecological cue breaking physical dormancy in the Mediterranean basin? Seed Science Research 25, 120126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jayasuriya, KMGG, Baskin, JM and Baskin, CC (2008) Cycling of sensitivity to physical dormancy-break in seeds of Ipomoea lacunosa (Convolvulaceae) and ecological significance. Annals of Botany 101, 341352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jurado, E and Flores, J (2005) Is seed dormancy under environmental control or bound to plant traits? Journal of Vegetation Science 16, 559564.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kazancı, DD and Tavşanoğlu, Ç (2019) Heat shock-stimulated germination in Mediterranean Basin plants in relation to growth form, dormancy type and distributional range. Folia Geobotanica 54, 8598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keeley, JE and Baer-Keeley, M (1999) Role of charred wood, heat-shock, and light in germination of postfire phrygana species from the eastern Mediterranean basin. Israel Journal of Plant Sciences 47, 1116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keeley, JE, Pausas, JG, Rundel, PW, Bond, WJ and Bradstock, RA (2011) Fire as an evolutionary pressure shaping plant traits. Trends in Plant Science 16, 406411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luna, B (2020) Fire and summer temperatures work together breaking physical seed dormancy. Scientific Reports 10, 110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luna, B and Chamorro, D (2016) Germination sensitivity to water stress of eight Cistaceae species from the Western Mediterranean. Seed Science and Research 26, 101110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luna, B, Moreno, JM, Cruz, A and Fernández-González, F (2007) Heat-shock and seed germination of a group of Mediterranean plant species growing in a burned area: an approach based on plant functional types. Environmental and Experimental Botany 60, 324333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luna, B, Pérez, B, Torres, I and Moreno, JM (2012) Effects of incubation temperature on seed germination of Mediterranean plants with different geographical distribution ranges. Folia Geobotanica 47, 1727.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luna, B, Chamorro, D and Pérez, B (2019) Effect of heat on seed germination and viability in species of Cistaceae. Plant Ecology and Diversity 12, 151158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ma, F, Cholewa, E, Mohamed, T, Peterson, CA and Gijzen, M (2004) Cracks in the palisade cuticle of soybean seed coats correlate with their permeability to water. Annals of Botany 94, 213228.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matilla, AJ (2020) Seed dormancy: molecular control of its induction and alleviation. Plants 9, 1402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moreira, B, Tormo, J, Estrelles, E and Pausas, JG (2010) Disentangling the role of heat and smoke as germination cues in Mediterranean Basin flora. Annals of Botany 105, 627635.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moreno, JM, Zuazua, E, Pérez, B, Luna, B, Velasco, A and de Dios, VR (2011) Rainfall patterns after fire differentially affect the recruitment of three Mediterranean shrubs. Biogeosciences 8, 37213732.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ooi, MKJ, Auld, TD and Whelan, R (2004) Comparison of the cut and tetrazolium tests for assessing seed viability: a study using Australian native Leucopogon species. Ecological Management & Restoration 5, 141143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ooi, MKJ, Auld, TD and Denham, AJ (2009) Climate change and bet-hedging: interactions between increased soil temperatures and seed bank persistence. Global Change Biology 15, 23752386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pela, Z, Gerasopoulos, D and Maloupa, E (2000) The effects of heat pre-treatments and incubation temperature on germination of Cistus creticus creticus seeds. Acta Horticulturae 541, 365372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pérez-García, F and González-Benito, ME (2012) Intrapopulation variation in seed germination of six rockrose (Cistus L.) species. Acta Horticulturae 937, 379384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Philippi, T and Seger, J (1989) Hedging one's evolutionary bets, revisited. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 4, 4144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Picciau, R, Pritchard, H, Mattana, E and Bacchetta, G (2019) Thermal thresholds for seed germination in Mediterranean species are higher in mountain compared with lowland areas. Seed Science Research 29, 4454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pons, TL (2000) Seed responses to light: the ecology of regeneration in plant communities, pp. 237260 in Fenner, M (Ed.), Seeds: the ecology of regeneration in plant communities. Wallingford, CAB International.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Probert, JR (2000) The role of temperature in the regulation of seed dormancy and germination, pp. 261291 in Fenner, M (Ed.), Seeds: the ecology of regeneration in plant communities. Wallingford, CAB International.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodrigues-Junior, AG, Baskin, CC, Baskin, JM and Garcia, QS (2018) Sensitivity cycling in physically dormant seeds of the Neotropical tree Senna multijuga (Fabaceae). Plant Biology 20, 698706.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roy, J and Sonié, L (1992) Germination and population dynamics of Cistus species in relation to fire. Journal of Applied Ecology 29, 647655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sviličić, P, Vučetić, V, Filić, S and Smolić, A (2015) Soil temperature regime and vulnerability due to extreme soil temperatures in Croatia. Theoretical Applied Climatology 126, 247263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tester, M and Morris, C (1987) The penetration of light through soil. Plant, Cell and Environment 10, 281286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thanos, CA and Georghiou, K (1988) Ecophysiology of fire-stimulated seed germination in Cistus incanus ssp. creticus (L.) Heywood and C. salvifolius L. Plant, Cell and Environment 11, 841849.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thanos, CA, Georghiou, K, Kadis, C and Pantazi, C (1992) Cistaceae: a plant family with hard seeds. Israel Journal of Botany 41, 251263.Google Scholar
Thompson, PA (1970) Characterization of the germination response to temperature of species and ecotypes. Nature 225, 827831.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Toyomasu, T, Kawaide, H, Mitsuhashi, W, Inoue, Y and Kamiya, Y (1998) Phytochrome regulates gibberellin biosynthesis during germination of photoblastic lettuce seeds. Plant Physiology 118, 15171523.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trabaud, L and Renard, P (1999) Do light and litter influence the recruitment of Cistus spp. stands? Israel Journal of Plant Sciences 47, 19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Valbuena, L, Tárrega, R and Luis, E (1992) Influence of heat on seed germination of Cistus laurifolius and Cistus ladanifer. International Journal of Wildland Fire 2, 1520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Valbuena, L, Luis-Calabuig, E and Tárrega, R (2002) Relationship between thermal shock and germination in five Mediterranean shrubs, pp. 9398 in Trabaud, L and Prodon, R (Eds.), Fire and biological processes. Leiden, Backhuys Publishers.Google Scholar
Verdú, M and Traveset, A (2005) Early emergence enhances plant fitness: a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis. Ecology 86, 13851394.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vuillemin, J and Bulard, C (1981) Ecophysiologie de la germination de Cistus albidus L. et Cistus monspeliensis L. Naturalia Monspeliensia. Serie Botanique 46, 111.Google Scholar
Yan, A and Chen, Z (2020) The control of seed dormancy and germination by temperature, light and nitrate. Botanical Review 86, 3975.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Luna et al. supplementary material

Table S1

Download Luna et al. supplementary material(File)
File 24.5 KB