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Effects of substrate type, moisture and its interactions on soil seed survival of three Rumex species

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Seed bank persistence plays a highly relevant role for population dynamics. The impact of interacting environmental factors on seed longevity has only scarcely been investigated. We aimed to analyse the effects of varied soil substrate type and moisture on soil seed survival.

Methods

Seeds of three Rumex species native to different habitats were buried in pots placed in open-air basins. The factors substrate (sand, loam, mud), water table depth (WTD; high, intermediate, low), time, and their interactions were investigated. Viability was tested after 6, 12, and 18 months.

Results

Seeds of R. acetosella (dry habitat) were short-term persistent with highest survival in low WTD on sand. Survival in R. acetosa (moist habitat) was very strongly reduced after 6 months with highest survival under wet conditions. R. maritimus (wet habitat) had overall long-term seed survival, where ‘substrate type’ had the strongest impact. Significant interactions of ‘substrate type’ and WTD were detected.

Conclusions

Seed bank longevity is not a fixed species trait, but varies with environmental factors. Soil moisture, substrate type and their interactions have different effects on the studied species. Persistence-classifications ought to consider the impact of environmental factors.

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Abbreviations

WTD:

Water table depth

DFT:

Diurnally fluctuated temperature

CAL:

Calcium lactate

GLMM:

Generalized linear mixed model

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Acknowledgment

We gratefully acknowledge the help of Alireza Keykhosravi with seed retrieval. We thank Sergey Rosbakh (Institute of Botany, University of the Regensburg, DE) and two anonymous reviewers for helpful and constructive comments on an earlier version, Eahsan Shahriary (Department of Animal and Range Sciences, University of New Mexico, US) and Christine Römermann (Institute of Botany, University of the Regensburg, DE) for advice on statistics. Helpful contributions were made by colleagues at the Institute of Botany in Regensburg, especially Ingeborg Lauer, Günter Kolb and Christine Gutmann. We are grateful to the University of Regensburg and MSRT and TMU in I. R. Iran for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, D-93040, Regensburg, Germany

    M. Abedi, M. Bartelheimer & P. Poschlod

  2. Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazanderan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran

    M. Abedi

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  1. M. Abedi
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  2. M. Bartelheimer
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  3. P. Poschlod
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Correspondence to P. Poschlod.

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Responsible Editor: Jeffrey Walck.

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Abedi, M., Bartelheimer, M. & Poschlod, P. Effects of substrate type, moisture and its interactions on soil seed survival of three Rumex species. Plant Soil 374, 485–495 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1903-x

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