Abstract
The California annual grasslands constitute a productive and diverse ecosystem. Productivity and dominance may be highly influenced by the amount and periodicity of moisture events, but the vast majority of the plant species that make up this vegetation type share a common characteristic; they must originate from seeds annually. In order to persist, the plants must produce seeds before the summer drought and disperse a significant portion of these seeds to favorable locations in the seedbed where they await moisture events of sufficient magnitude in the fall to trigger germination.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartolome JW (1979) Germination and establishment of plants in California annual grasslands. J. Ecology 67, 273–281.
Batzli GO and Pitelka OA (1970) Influence of meadow mouse populations on California grasslands. Ecology 51. 1027–1039.
Evans RA. Kay BL. and Young JA (1975) The microenvironment of a dynamic annual community in relation to range improvement, Hilgardia 43. 79–102.
Evans RA. Kay BL. and Young JA (1976) Influence of date of planting on emergence of cultivart of Trifolium hirtum All. and T. subterraneum L.. J. Range Manage. 29. 333–337.
Evans RA and Young JA (1970) Plant litter and establishment of alien annual species in rangeland communities. Weed Science 18. 697–703.
Evans RA and Young JA (1972) Microsite requirements for establishment of annual rangeland weeds. Weed Science 23, 354–357.
Evans RA and Young JA (1975) Enhancing germination of dormant caryopses of downy brome. Weed Science 23, 354–357.
Evans RA. Young JA, and Kay BI. (1974) Germination of winter annual species from a rangeland community treated with paraquat. Weed Science 22, 85–187.
Harper JL (1977) Population Biology of Plants. London, Academic Press. 892 pp.
Heady HF (1956) Changes in a California annual plant community induced by manipulation of natural mulch. Ecology 37. 798–812.
Heady HF and Torrell DT (1959) Forage preference exhibited by sheep with esophageal fistulas. J. Range Manage. 12, 28–311.
Helphinstine WN, Brown VW, and Love RM (1983) Hard seed ensures rose clover survival on rangelands, California Agriculture 37(516), 12–13.
Jain SK (1982) Variation and adaptive role of seed dormancy in some annual grassland species. Botanical Gazette 143, 101–106.
Major J. McKell CM. and Berry U (1960) Improvement of medusahead infested rangelands, Univ. Calif. Agrt. Exp. Sta. Leafl. 123.
Major J and Pyott, WT (1966) Buned viable seeds in two California bunchgrass sites and their bearing on the definition of a flora, Vegetatio 13. 253–282.
Peart MH (1984) The eflectx of morphology, orientation, and position of grass diaspoies on seedling survival, J. of Ecology 72. 437–453.
Raguse, CA, Young JA. and Evans, RA (1977) Germination of California annual range plants in response to summer rain. Agronomy Journal 69, 327–329.
Somody CN. Nalewaja JD. and Miller SD (1985) Self-burial of wild oat florets. Agronomy Journal 77. 359–362
Sumner DC and Love RM (1969) Resident range cover often cause of seeding failure, California Agric. 15 (2), 6.
Williams WA, Love RM, and Berry LJ (1957) Production of range clovers. Agric. Exp. Sta. University of California, Cir. 458.
Young JA and Evans RA (1973) Mucilaginous seed coats. Weed Science 21. 52–54.
Young JA. Evans RA. and Eckert RE. Jr (1968) Germination of medusahead in response to temperature and Bftcrripcn- ing. Weed Science 16. 92–95.
Young JA. Evans RA. and Eckert RE. Jr (1969) Population dynamics of downy brome. Weed Science 17, 20–26.
Young JA. Evans RA. Gifford RO and Eckert RE, Jr (1970) Germination characteristics of three species of Crucifcrac, Weed Science 18. 41–48.
Young JA. Evans RA. and Kay BL (1971) Germination of annual grasses in simulated litter. Agronomy Journal 63. 551–555.
Young JA. Evans RA. and Kay BL (1973) Temperature requirements for seed germination in an annual-type range community. Agronomy Journal 65, 656–659.
Young JA. Evans RA. and Kay BL (1975) Dispersal and germination dynamics of broadleaf filaroc Erodium botrys ( Cav.) Bertol. Agronomy Journal 65, 656–659.
Young J A. Evans RA. Raguse. CA and Larson JR (1981) Germinable seeds and periodicity of germination in annual grasslands. Hilgardia 49 (2), 1–37.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Young, J.A., Evans, R.A. (1989). Seed Production and Germination Dynamics in California Annual Grasslands. In: Huenneke, L.F., Mooney, H.A. (eds) Grassland structure and function. Tasks for vegetation science, vol 20. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3113-8_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3113-8_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7900-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3113-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive