Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Predispersal seed predation in Acacia macrostachya, its impact on seed viability, and germination responses to scarification and dry heat treatments

  • Published:
New Forests Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Predispersal seed predation among individual Acacia macrostachya trees over two sites in Burkina Faso was assessed. In addition, the effects of seed predation on seed viability; germination responses to scarification (mechanical, hot water at 60, 70 and 80°C, and sulphuric acid for 10, 20 and 30 min) and dry heat (at 60, 70 and 80°C for 15, 30 and 60 min each) treatments were investigated under laboratory conditions. The results indicated a large difference in predation intensity among individual trees, as well as between sites. Predispersal predation significantly decreased seed germination, particularly when the number of insect larvae per seed increased. Scarified and unscarified seeds germinated equally well, except for hot water treatments of high temperature. This indicates lack of physical dormancy and dispersed seeds can readily germinate provided that conditions for germination are conducive. Seeds exposed to dry heat treatments also germinated close to 97% under low intensity and short exposure times. This suggests that fire, under natural condition, plays a key role in triggering germination of A. macrostachya seeds.

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

  • Abdullah M.A.R. and Abulfatih H.A. 1995. Predation of Acacia seeds by bruchid beetles and its relation to altitudinal gradient in southwestern Saudi Arabia. J. Arid Environ. 29: 99–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Adkins S.W. and Peters N.C.B. 2001. Smoke derived from burnt vegetation stimulates germination of arable weeds. Seed Sci. Res. 11: 213–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Adkins S.W., Davidson P.J., Matthew L., Navie S.C., Wills D.A., Taylor I.N. and Bellairs S.M. 2000. Smoke and germination of arable and rangeland weeds. In: Black M. and Bradford K.V (eds) Seed Biology: Advances and Applications. CAB International, Wallingford/New York, pp. 347–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anonymous 1998. Jeune Afrique Atlases: Burkina Faso. Les éditions J.A. aux éditions du jaguar, Paris, 62 pp.

  • Argaw M., Teketay D. and Olsson M. 1999. Soil seed flora, germination and regeneration pattern of woody species in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. J. Arid Environ. 43: 411–435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Auld T.D. and Myerscough P.J. 1986. Population dynamics of the shrub Acacia suaeveolens (Sm.) Wild: Seed production and predispersal predation. Aust. J. Ecol. 11: 219–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes M.E. 2001. Seed predation, germination and seedling establishment of Acacia erioloba in northern Botswana. J. Arid Environ. 49: 541–554.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baskin C.C. and Baskin J.M. 1998. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination. Academic Press, San Diego, 666 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bekele A., Birnie A. and Tengnäs B. 1993. Useful Trees and Shrubs for Ethiopia. Regional Soil Conservation Unit, Swedish International Development Authority, Nairobi, Kenya, 474 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell D.T. 1999. Turner review no. 1 — the process of germination in Australian species. Aust. J. Bot. 47: 475–517.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bewley J.D. and Black M. 1994. Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination. Plenum Press, New York/London, 445 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brewbaker J.L. 1990. Nitrogen fixing trees. In: Werner D. and Müller P. (eds) Fast Growing Trees and Nitrogen Fixing Trees. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart/New York, pp. 253–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown N.A.C. and van Staden J. 1997. Smoke as a germination cue: a review. Plant Growth Regul. 22: 115–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delobel A., Tran M. and Sembene M. 2000. Influence du choix alimentaire sur la fécondité et le dévelopement larvaire des Caryedon des Légumineuses (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) au Senegal. Annales de la Société Entomologique 36: 61–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egerton-Warburton L.M. 1998. A smoke-induced alteration of the sub-testa cuticle in seeds of the post-fire recruiter, Emmenanthe penduliflora Bench. (Hydrophyllaceae). J. Exp. Bot. 49: 1317–1327.

    Google Scholar 

  • El Atta H.A. 1993. The effect of Caryedon serratus Olivier (Col., Bruchidae) on viability and germination of seeds of Acacia nilotica (L. Willd. ex Del.) in the Sudan. For. Ecol. Manage. 57: 169–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enright N.J., Goldblum D., Ata P. and Ashton D.H. 1997. The independent effects of heat, smoke and ash on emergence of seedlings from the soil seed bank of healthy Eucalyptus woodland in Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, western Victoria. Aust. J. Ecol. 22: 81–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst W.H.O., Tolsma D.J. and Decelle J.E. 1989. Predation of seeds of Acacia tortilis by insects. Oikos 54: 294–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst W.H.O., Decelle J.E. and Tolsma D.J. 1990. Predispersal seed predation in native leguminous shrubs and trees in savannas of Southern Botswana. Afr. J. Ecol. 28: 45–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fichtl R. and Adi A. 1994. Honey Bee Flora of Ethiopia. Margraf Verlag, Weikersheim, 510 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontés J., Guinko S., Diallo S.A. and Compaore J.A. 1994. Carte de la végétation et de l'occupation du sol du Burkina Faso. Ministère de la coopération Francaise Project Campus.

  • Goldammer J.G. 1993. Historical biogeography of fire: tropical and subtropical. In: Crutzen P.J. and Goldammer J.G. (eds) Fire in the Environment: The Ecological, Atmospheric and Climatic Importance of Vegetation Fires. Wiley, Chichester, pp. 297–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gosling P.G., Samuel Y.K. and Jones S.K. 1995. A systematic examination of germination temperature, chipping and water temperature/soak duration pretreatments on the seeds of Leucaena leucocephala. Seed Sci. Technol. 23: 521–532.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagberg S., Gomgnimbou M. and Somé B. 1996. Forêts classées et terres des ancêtres au Burkina Faso. Working Paper No. 3. Department of Cultural Anthropology, Uppsala University, 69 pp.

  • Hauser T.P. 1994. Germination, predation and dispersal of Acacia albida seeds. Oikos 71: 421–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussain I. and Mathur A.N. 1990. Fast growing multipurpose tree species for arid and semi-arid land plantation. In: Werner D. and Müller P. (eds) Fast Growing Trees and Nitrogen Fixing Trees. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart/New York, 354 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kannan C.S., Sudhakara K., Augustine A. and Ashokan P.K. 1996. Seed dormancy and pretreatments to enhance germination in selected Albizia species. J. Trop. For. Sci. 8: 369–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley J.E. and Fotheringham C.J. 1998. Smoke-induced seed germination in California chaparral. Ecology 79: 2320–2336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley J.E. and Fotheringham C.J. 2000. Role of fire in regeneration from seed. In: Fenner M. (ed.) Seeds: The Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities. CAB International, Wallingford/New York, pp. 311–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Midgley J.J. and Bond W.J. 2001. A synthesis of the demography of African acacias. J. Trop. Ecol. 17: 871–886.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller M.F. 1994a. Large African herbivores, bruchid beetles and their interactions with Acacia seeds. Oecologia 97: 265–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller M.F. 1994b. The fate of mature African Acacia pods and seeds during their passage from the tree to the soil. J. Trop. Ecol. 10: 183–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller M.F. 1996. Acacia seed predation by bruchids in an African savanna ecosystem. J. Appl. Ecol. 33: 1137–1144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mucunguzi P. 1995. Effects of bruchid beetles on germination and establishment of Acacia species. Afr. J. Ecol. 33: 64–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mucunguzi P. and Oryem-Origa H. 1996. Effects of heat and fire on the germination of Acacia sieberiana D.C. and Acacia gerrardii Benth. in Uganda. J. Trop. Ecol. 12: 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radford I.J., Nicholas D.M. and Brown J.R. 2001. Impact of prescribed burning on Acacia nilotica seed banks and seedlings in the Astrebla grasslands of northern Australia. J. Arid Environ. 49: 795–807.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roche S. Dixon K.W. and Pate J.S. 1998. For every thing a reason: smoke-induced seed germination and seedling recruitment in a western Australian Banksia woodland. Aust. J. Ecol. 23: 111–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabiiti E.N. and Wien R.W. 1987. Fire and Acacia seeds: a hypothesis of colonization success. J. Ecol. 74: 937–946.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh P. and Bhandari R.S. 1988. Insect pest of leguminous forest tree seed and their control. Indian Forester 114: 844–853.

    Google Scholar 

  • Southgate B.J. 1975. A preliminary list of Acacia species and the bruchid beetles associated with them. Bull. Groupe Int. Etude Mimosoideae, Toulouse 3: 31–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sy A., Grouzis M. and Danthu P. 2001. Seed germination of seven Sahelian legume species. J. Arid Environ. 49: 875–882.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szentesi Á. and Jermy T. 1995. Predispersal seed predation in leguminous species: seed morphology and bruchid distribution. Oikos 73: 23–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teketay D. 1996. Germination ecology of twelve indigenous and eight exotic multipurpose leguminous species from Ethiopia. For. Ecol. Manage. 80: 209–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teketay D. 1998. Germination of Acacia origena, A. pilispina and Pterolobium stellatum in response to different pre-sowing seed treatments, temperature and light. J. Arid Environ. 38: 551–560.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teketay D. and Tigabu M. 1996. The effect of pre-sowing seed treatments, temperature and light on the germination of Tamarindus indica L., a multipurpose tree. J. Trop. For. 12: 73–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tigabu M. and Odén P.C. 2001. Effect of scarification, gibberellic acid and temperature on seed germination of two multipurpose Albizia species from Ethiopia. Seed Sci. Technol. 29: 11–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Traveset A. 1991. Predispersal seed predation in Central America Acacia farnesiana: factors affecting the abundance of co-occurring bruchid beetles. Oecologia 87: 570–576.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tybirk K. 1991. Regeneration of Woody Legumes in Sahel. Aarhus University Press, Aarhus, 81 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veasey E.A. and Teixeira de Freitas J.C. 2002. Breaking seed dormancy in Sesbania sesban, S. rostrata and S. virgata. Seed Sci. Technol. 30: 211–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verinumbe I. 1990. Preliminary evaluation of some sub Saharan tree species for fast growth and soil amelioration. In: Werner D. and Müller P. (eds) Fast Growing Trees and Nitrogen Fixing Trees. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart/New York, pp. 253–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • von Maydell H.J. 1990. Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel: Their Characteristics and Uses. GTZ, Eschborn, 525 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar J. 1996. Biostatistical Analysis. Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 662 pp.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Silviculture, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden

    Maria Schelin, Mulualem Tigabu, Ingalill Eriksson & Per Christer Odén

  2. Département Production Forestiére, CNRST, INERA, BP 10, Koudougou, Burkina Faso

    Louis Sawadogo

Authors
  1. Maria Schelin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mulualem Tigabu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ingalill Eriksson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Louis Sawadogo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Per Christer Odén
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Per Christer Odén.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schelin, M., Tigabu, M., Eriksson, I. et al. Predispersal seed predation in Acacia macrostachya, its impact on seed viability, and germination responses to scarification and dry heat treatments. New Forests 27, 251–267 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:NEFO.0000022225.75095.41

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:NEFO.0000022225.75095.41

Search

Navigation