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Germination of Riparian Species in Natural and Experimental Conditions

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Plant Diversity and Ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert

Part of the book series: Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: An Endangered Hyperdiverse Oasis ((CUCIBA))

Abstract

In altered or newly opened habitats, germination is a crucial event for the natural regeneration and for the colonization of environments. In the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, the Churince hydrological system has been deeply disturbed and numerous sinkholes were formed in the surrounding flatland, which can provide favorable conditions for the establishment of riparian plants, whose original habitat is disappearing. The effect of light and storage conditions and time on the germination of five riparian species from the Churince system (Eustoma exaltatum, Flaveria chlorifolia, Sabatia tuberculata, Samolus ebracteatus var. coahuilensis, and Schoenus nigricans) that are colonizing the sinkholes were analyzed in field and controlled conditions. Additionally, in a greenhouse, we analyzed germination on different substrates. All the species were indifferent to light. Germination in field conditions was low, particularly for Schoenus nigricans. Germination of control seeds and of those recovered from the field experiment was high in controlled conditions. Samolus ebracteatus var. coahuilensis and F. chlorifolia germinated as soon as hydrated and had germination proportions close to 0.9. In the greenhouse, the highest percentage of germination was on black soil, except for Schoenus nigricans, followed by silica sand. Germination was low on substrates from the collection site, especially for Schoenus nigricans. The seeds may be conditionally dormant, allowing the formation of a soil seed bank. The different germinative responses suggest an important functional diversity in the disturbed Churince system.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financed by projects UNAM/ PAPIIT IN231811, UNAM/ PAPIIT IN217915, UNAM /PAPIIT 205715, CONACyT 221015, and the WWF-Carlos Slim Alliance. We especially thank Juan Carlos Ibarra, director of the Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna de Cuatrociénegas for his help and outstanding efforts, Valeria Souza for her constant support, and Maria C. Mandujano for her contribution to this project. We appreciate the contribution of Ana Karen Almaguer and the support of Beatriz Zúñiga Ruiz, Manuel Hernández Quiroz, Laura P. Olguín Santos, María Eugenia Muñiz Díaz de León, J. Luis Vigosa Mercado, Pedro E. Mendoza-Hernández, Mariana Hernández-Apolinar, Israel Solano-Zavaleta, and Marco Romero- Romero. We fully appreciate the help of the people from Cuatro Ciénegas and the ejido Seis de enero.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Cynthia Peralta-García, Irene Pisanty & Mariana Rodríguez-Sánchez

  2. Departamento de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico

    Alma Orozco-Segovia & Ma. Esther Sánchez-Coronado

Authors
  1. Cynthia Peralta-García
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  2. Irene Pisanty
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  3. Alma Orozco-Segovia
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  4. Ma. Esther Sánchez-Coronado
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  5. Mariana Rodríguez-Sánchez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Irene Pisanty .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Maria C. Mandujano

  2. Departmento Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Irene Pisanty

  3. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Luis E. Eguiarte

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Peralta-García, C., Pisanty, I., Orozco-Segovia, A., Sánchez-Coronado, M.E., Rodríguez-Sánchez, M. (2020). Germination of Riparian Species in Natural and Experimental Conditions. In: Mandujano, M., Pisanty, I., Eguiarte, L. (eds) Plant Diversity and Ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert. Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: An Endangered Hyperdiverse Oasis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44963-6_19

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