Conclusion

Abstract

The less it rains and the more unpredictable the amounts and dates of precipitation, the more extreme a desert. How can desert plants ‘predict’ when to germinate so that they may survive in such conditions? At what point does the plant switch from the seed, which is the phase of the life cycle most resistant to the environmental factors such as high temperatures, high salinity and dryness, to becoming a seedling, which is the most sensitive phase? It seems that different species develop various survival mechanisms and strategies which are followed through their life cycles. There are also environmental factors that have an influence on seed germinability: during seed maturation, dispersal, storage and the imbibition of water. These may affect the time and place of germination, as well as seedling survival, plant development, flowering, seed production and the termination of the life cycle at the right time.