Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of high temperatures and ash on germination of ten species from gorse shrubland

  • Published:
Vegetatio Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Seeds of ten species of Cistaceae, Ericaceae and Poaceae were examinated to compare their responses to high temperatures and ash, simulating the direct effect of fire on germination. A variable response to these factors between families and within species from the same family was detected.

In Cistaceae, heat treatment pre-sowing stimulated germination. In Ericaceae, germination was stimulated by thermic shock, but a wide range of response was detected (between all four species), from Erica ciliari, very sensitive, to Daboecia cantabrica and Calluna vulgaris which showed no significant response. The range of reaction shown by the species of this family suggest that the size of the seeds is directly related to the difference in response, at least in species with a similar structure. In Poaceae, germination was not found to be dependent upon thermic shock.

The effect of ash varies in magnitude. Although it decreased the germination percentage in all species, in Avenula marginata (Poaceae) the effect was not statistically significant, whilst in Ericaceae, particularly in those showing the highest levels of germination in the control (C. vulgaris and E. umbellata), the effect is to inhibit germination completely. In respect to the effect of ash the families could be arranged in the order Ericaceae>Cistaceae>Poaceae.

Complex interactions between various dormancy types and seed size could explain these results. In species which depend on physical dormancy temperature has an important role. When other dormancy type is dominant in the control of germination, the medium characteristics could have a relevant role on seed response. In addition, the seed-size could determine the threshold of tolerance to temperature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anon. 1985. SAS Statistical Package. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.

  • Alonso, I., Luís, E. & Tárrega, R. 1992. First phases of regeneration of Cistus laurifolius and Cistus ladanifer after burning and cutting in experimental plots. Int. J. Wildland Fire 2(1): 7–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Añorbe, M. V. 1988. Efectos de la temperatura, suelo e insectos consumidores sobre la germinación de Cytisus oromediterraneus y C. multiflorus. Tesina de Licenciatura. Universidad de Salamanca.

  • Arianoutsou, M. & Margaris, N. S. 1981. Early stages of regeneration after fire in a phryganic ecosystem (East Mediterranean). I. Regeneration by seed germination. Biologie-Ecologie Méditerranéenne. Tome VIII, No 3–4: 119–128.

  • Arianoutsou, M. & Faraggitaki. 1984. Post-fire successional recovery of phryganic (East-Mediterranean) ecosystem. Acta Oecol. Oecol. Plant. 5(19): 387–394.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aronne, G. & Mazzoleni, S. 1989. The effects of heat exposure on seeds of Cistus incanus L. and Cistus monspeliensis L. Giorn. Bot. Ital. 123: 283–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atwater, B. R. 1980. Germination, dormancy and morphology of the seeds of herbaceous ornamental plants. Seed Sci. & Technol. 8: 523–573.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barro, S. C. & Poth, M. 1988. Seeding and sprouting Ceanothus species: their germination responses to heat. In: di, Castri, F. et al. (Eds), Time Scales and Water Stress. I.U.B.S., Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bannister, P. 1965. Biological flora of the British Isles. J. Ecol. 53: 527–542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Basanta, M., Díaz-Vizcaino, E. & Casal, M. 1988. Structure of shrubland communities in Galicia (NW Spain). In: During, H. J., Werger, M. J. A. & Willems, J. H. (Eds), Diversity and pattern in plant communities, SPB Academic Publ. The Hague.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bewley, J. D. & Black, M. 1978. Physiology and biochemistry of seeds. Vol. 1: Development, germination and growth. Springer-Verlag. Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casal, M. 1982. Sucesión secundaria en vegetación de matorral de Galicia tras dos tipos de perturbación: incendio y roza. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad de Sevilla.

  • Come, D. 1970. Les obstacles à la germination. Masson. Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalda, J. 1972. Vegetación de la cuenca del rio Deo. (Cuenca del alto Mandeo). Monografía no 14. Universidad de Santiago.

  • DeBano, L. F., Dunn, P. H. & Conrad, C. E. 1977. Fire's effect on physical and chemical propiertes of Chaparral soils. In: Mooney, H. A. & Conrad, C. E. (Eds), Proceedings of the Symposium on the Environmental Consequences of fire and fuel Management in Mediterranean Ecosystems. Palo Alto, California.

  • Díaz-Fierros, F., Benito, E., Vega, J. A., Castelao, A., Soto, B., Pérez, R., & Taboada, T. 1990. Solute loss and soil erosion in burnt soil from Galicia (NW Spain). In: Goldammer, J. G. & Jenkins, M. J. (Eds), Fire in Ecosstem Dynamics. SPB Academic Publ. The Hague.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evenari, M. 1957. Les problèmes physiologiques de la germination. Bulletin de la Société Française de Physiologie Végétale 3: 105–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evenari, M. 1961. A survey of the work done in seed physiology by Department of Botany. Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Israel). Proc. Int. Seed Test Ass. 26: 597–659.

    Google Scholar 

  • Floyd, A. G. 1966. Effect of fire upon weed seeds in the wet sclerophyll forest of Northern New South Wales. Aust. J. Bot. 14: 243–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gimingham, C. H. 1960. Biological flora of the British Isles. Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull. J. Ecol. 48: 455–483.

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Rabanal, F., Casal, M. & Trabaud, L. 1994. Effects of high temperatures, ash and seed position in the inflorescence on the germination of three Spanish grasses. Journal of Vegetation Science 5: 289–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs, R. J. & Gimingham, C. H. 1984. Studies on fire in scottish heathland communities. I. Fire characteristics. J. Ecol. 72: 223–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivens, G. W. 1978. Some aspects of seed ecology of gorse. Proc. 31st N.Z. Weed and pest Control Conf.: 53–57.

  • Jones, C. S. & Schlesinger, W. H. 1980. Emmenanthe penduliflora (Hydrophyllaceae): further consideration of germination response. Madroño 27: 122–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Judd, T. S. 1994. Do small Myrtaceous seed-capsules display specialized insulating characteristics which protect seed during fire?. Ann. Bot. 73: 33–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kayll, A. J. 1966. Some characteristics of heath fires in N.E. Scotland. J. App. Ecol. 3: 29–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J. E. 1977. Seed production, seed populations in soil, and seedling production after fire for two seedling production after fire for two congeneric pairs of sprouting and nonsprouting chaparral shrubs. Ecology 58: 820–829.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J. E. 1984. Factors affecting germination of Chaparral seeds. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 83(3): 113–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J. E. 1987. Role of fire in seed germination of woody taxa in California chaparral. Ecology 68: 434–443.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J. E. 1991. Seed germination and life history syndromes in the California chaparral. Bot. Rev. 57: 81–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J. E., Morton, B. A., Pedrosa, A. & Trotter, P. 1985. Role of allelopathy, heat and charred wood in the germination of chaparral herbs and suffrutescents. J. Ecol. 73: 445–458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J. E. & Keeley, S. C. 1987. Role of fire in the germination of chaparral herbs and suffrutescents. Madroño 34: 240–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, A. C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Am. Midl. Nat. 36: 513–660.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nikolaeva, M. G. 1969. Physiology of deep dormancy in seeds. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pereiras, J. 1984. Estudio de los principales efectos de incendios y rozas sobre la germinación de semillas de tojo (U. europaeus). Tesina de Licenciatura. Universidad de Santiago.

  • Pereiras, J., Puentes, M. A. & Casal, M. 1985. Efecto de las altas temperaturas sobre la germinación de semillas del tojo (Ulex europaeus L.). Studia Oecologica VI: 125–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pitot, A. & Masson, H. 1951. Quelques données sur la température au cours des feux de brousse aux environs de Dakar. Bull. Inst. Afr. Noire 13: 711–732.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reyes, O. 1992. Efecto de las altas temperaturas sobre el comportamiento germinativo de especies arbóreas de ecosistemas forestales de Galicia. Memoria de Licenciatura. Universidad de Santiago.

  • Sokal, R. & Rohlf, F. 1979. Biometría. H. Blume Ediciones. Madrid.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stinson, K. J. & Wright, M. A. 1969. Temperatured of head fires in the southern mixed prairies of Texas. J. Range Manag. 22: 169–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone, E. C. & Juhren, G. 1951. The effect of fire on the germination of seed of Rhus ovata Watts. Amer. J. Bot. 38: 368–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweeney, J. R. 1956. Responses of vegetation to fire. A study of the herbaceous vegetation following chaparral fire. University of Carolina Publications in Botany 28: 143–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tárrega, R., Calvo, L. & Trabaud, L., 1992. Effect of high temperatures on seed germination of two woody leguminosae. Vegetatio 102: 139–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L. 1977. Comparison between the effect of prescribed fires and wild fires on the global quantitative evolution of the kermes scrub oak (Quercus coccifera L.) garrigues. In: Mooney, H. A. & Conrad, C. E. (Eds), Proceedings of the Symposium on the Environmental Consequences of fire and fuel Management in Mediterranean Ecosystems. Palo Alto, California.

  • Trabaud, L. 1987. Fire and survival traits of plants. In: Trabaud, L. (Ed), The role of Fire in Ecological Systems. Academic Publishing. La Haya.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L. & Casal, M. 1989. Réponses des semences de Rosmarinus officinalis à différents traitements simulant une action de feu. Acta Oecologica. Oecol. Applic. 10: 355–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L. & Oustric, J. 1989. Heat requirements for seed germination of three Cistus species in the garrigue of Southern France. Flora 183: 321–325.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1980. Flora Europea. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troumbis, A. & Trabaud, L. 1986. Comparison of reproductive biological attributes of two Cistus species. Acta Oecologica. Oecol. Plant. 7: 235–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troumbis, A. & Trabaud, L. 1987. Dynamique de la banque de graines de deux espèces de Cistes dans les maquis grecs. Acta Oecol. Oecol. Plant. 8: 167–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valbuena, L. 1990. Efecto de la temperatura sobre la germinación de dos especies de Cistus: Cistus ladanifer y Cistus laurifolius. Tesina de licenciatura. Universidad de Oviedo.

  • Valbuena, L., Tárrega, R. & Luis, E. 1992. Influence of heat on seed germination of Cistus laurifolius and Cistus ladanifer. Int. J. Wildland Fire 2: 15–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vegis, A. 1964. Dormancy in higher plants. Ann. Rev. Plant. Physiol. 15: 185–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogl, R. J. 1974. Effects of fire in grasslands. In: Kozlowski, T. T. &/ Ahlgren, C. E. (Eds), Physiological Ecology: Fire and Ecosystems. Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker, E. & Gimingham, C. H. 1962. The effects of fire on regeneration of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull. from seed. J. Ecol. 50: 815–822.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zabkiebicz, J. A. 1979. Gorse-Growth characteristics and control. What's new in Forest Research. 73: 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Area de Ecología, Departamento de Biología Fundamental, Fac. Biología, Unversidad de Santiago, 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Florentina González-Rabanal & Mercedes Casal

Authors
  1. Florentina González-Rabanal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mercedes Casal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

González-Rabanal, F., Casal, M. Effect of high temperatures and ash on germination of ten species from gorse shrubland. Vegetatio 116, 123–131 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00045303

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00045303

Key words

Search

Navigation