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Nutrient-acquisition strategy influences seed nutrient concentration and seed-to-seedling transition in ecological restoration in a regional dryland flora

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Abstract

Purpose

Seed-to-seedling transition is a primary bottleneck in dryland and post-mining ecological restoration. The role of internal seed nutrent characteristics in this critical transition remains poorly understood, despite its possible utility to inform species selection for restoration.

Methods

Seed mass and nutrient characteristics were determined for 188 sclerophyll shrubland species from semi-arid Western Australia (35 % of regional floristic diversity) to determine the degree to which they were driven by functional traits. Additionally, seeds of 175 species were broadcast among different surface cover treatments in a dryland post-mining ecological restoration trial, to determine whether seed mass, seed nutrient concentration, or functional traits were informative at predicting seed-to-seedling transition.

Results

Examined functional traits explained 48 % of variation in seed mass and nutrient characteristics. Greatest effect sizes included embryo type for seed mass, and nutrient-acquisition strategy for the concentration and ratios of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Seed-to-seedling transition was most significantly influenced by functional traits including nutrient-acquisition strategy, embryo type, dispersal syndrome, growth form, and life history, as well as increasing seed potassium concentration which may offer a nutritional advantage for germination and establishment on nutrient-poor substrates.

Conclusion

This study helps bridge the science-practice gap in seed-based restoration, laying the foundations for evidence-based approaches to determining most effective use of limited seed resources. Seed- and species-trait filters should be applied when selecting species for restoration seed mixtures, improving cost-efficiency and ethical seed use by omitting species unlikely favoured on a given restoration substrate prior to seeding.

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Data availability

Data are unable to be publicly archived due to legal requirements, but are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks Kingsley Dixon, Shane Turner and David Merritt for their advice on seed traits, as well as James Aronson for helpful comments on the development of successive versions of the manuscript and Hans Lambers for a detailed internal review. Two anonymous reviewers are also thanked for their constructive and thorough critique of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Mine Site Restoration (Project Number ICI150100041). The views expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Australian Government or Australian Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EcoHealth Network, 1330 Beacon St, Suite 355a, Brookline, MA, 02446, USA

    Adam T. Cross

  2. School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, 6102, Bentley, WA, Australia

    Adam T. Cross

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  1. Adam T. Cross
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AC conceived the ideas and designed methodology, collected the data, analysed the data, and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Adam T. Cross.

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Cross, A.T. Nutrient-acquisition strategy influences seed nutrient concentration and seed-to-seedling transition in ecological restoration in a regional dryland flora. Plant Soil 476, 653–668 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05198-z

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