Abstract
We examined the seed-germination responses of 27 alpine species with reference to habitat type (fellfield and snowbed), temperature (five regimes), and light requirement. About 70% of species showed >40% germination at warm temperatures without cold stratification. However, a moist-chilling treatment markedly improved the germination percentages in most species, especially under cool conditions. Thus, cold stratification effectively reduced the temperature requirement for germination. Patterns of germination response within species were not consistent between the fellfield and snowbed habitats for species inhabiting both habitats. For interspecific comparisons, there were no significant differences in germination responses to the temperature regimes and the cold stratification between the fellfield and snowbed species. Also, germination speed and the length of germinating period did not differ between fellfield and snowbed species. Most species (86%) showed a requirement for light for germination without cold stratification. Although the extent of the light requirement was reduced after cold stratification in some species, the light requirement of most small-seeded species remained. The combination of cold stratification and the light requirement is a major factor determining the seedling emergence and formation of seed banks in alpine plants. However, habitat-specific patterns of germination traits were less clear, suggesting similar germination traits in fellfield and snowbed plants, at least under controlled conditions in the laboratory.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amen RD (1966) The extent and role of seed dormancy in alpine plants. Q Rev Biol 4:271–281
Barnea A, Yom-Tov T, Friedman J (1991) Does ingestion by birds affect seed germination? Funct Ecol 5:394–402
Baskin CC, Baskin JM (1988) Germination ecophysiology of herbaceous plant species in a temperate region. Am J Bot 75:286–305
Baskin CC, Baskin JM (2001) Seeds: ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. Academic, San Diego
Bell KL, Bliss LC (1980) Plant reproduction in a high arctic environment. Arctic Alpine Res 12:1–10
Bewley JD, Black M (1994) Seeds: physiology of development and germination. Plenum Press, New York
Billings WD, Bliss LC (1959) An alpine snowbank environment and its effects on vegetation, plant development, and productivity. Ecology 40:388–397
Billings WD, Mooney HA (1968) The ecology of arctic and alpine plants. Biol Rev 43:481–529
Bliss LC (1958) Seed germination in arctic and alpine species. Arctic 11:180–188
Bliss LC (1971) Arctic and alpine plant life cycles. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 2:405–438
Cavieres LA, Arroyo MTK (2000) Seed germination response to cold stratification period and thermal regime in Phacelia secunda (Hydrophyllaceae). Plant Ecol 149:1–8
Chabot BF, Billings WD (1972) Origins and ecology of the Sierran alpine flora and vegetation. Ecol Monogr 42:163–199
Chambers JC (1989) Seed viability of alpine species, variability within and among years. J Range Manage 42:304–308
Chambers JC, MacMahon JA, Brown RW (1987) Germination characteristics of alpine grasses and forbs: a comparison of early and late seral dominants with reclamation potential. Reclam Reveg Res 6:235–249
Dalgaard P (2002) Introductory statistics with R. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Densmore RD (1997) Effect of day length on germination of seeds collected in Alaska. Am J Bot 84:274–278
Galen C, Stanton ML (1991) Consequences of emergence phenology for reproductive success in Ranunculus adoneus (Ranunculaceae). Am J Bot 78:977–988
Grime JP, Mason G, Curtis AV, Rodman J, Band SR, Mowforth MAG, Neal AM, Shaw S (1981) A comparative study of germination characteristics in a local flora. J Ecol 69:1017–1059
Körner C (1999) Alpine plant life: functional plant ecology of high mountain ecosystems. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Kudo G, Ito K (1992) Plant distribution in relation to the length of the growing season in a snow-bed in the Taisetsu Mountains, northern Japan. Vegetatio 98:165–174
Maruta E (1983) Growth and survival of current-year seedlings of Polygonum cuspidatum at the upper distribution limit on Mt. Fuji. Oecologia 60:316–320
Maruta E (1994) Seedling establishment of Polygonum cuspidatum and Polygonum weyrichii var. alpinum at high altitudes of Mt Fuji. Ecol Res 9:205–213
McGraw JB, Vavrek MC (1989) The role of buried viable seeds in arctic and alpine plant communities. In: Leck MA, Parker VT, Simpson RL (eds) Ecology of soil seed banks. Academic, San Diego, pp 91–105
Milberg P, Andersson L (1998) Does cold stratification level out differences in seed germinability between populations? Plant Ecol 134:225–234
Miller PC (1982) Environmental and vegetational variation across a snow accumulation area in montane tundra in central Alaska. Holarctic Ecol 5:85–98
Oberbauer S, Miller PC (1982) Effect of water potential on seed germination. Holarctic Ecol 5:218–220
Onipchenko VG, Semenova GV, Maarel E (1998) Population strategies in severe environments: alpine plants in the northwestern Caucasus. J Veg Sci 9:27–40
Pons TL (2000) Seed responses to light. In: Fenner M (eds) Seeds: the ecology of regeneration in plant communities. CAB International, Oxon, pp 237–260
Probert RJ (2000) The role of temperature in the regulation of seed dormancy and germination. In: Fenner M (eds) Seeds: the ecology of regeneration in plant communities. CAB International, Oxon, pp 261–292
Reynolds DN (1984) Alpine annual plants: phenology, germination, photosynthesis, and growth of three rocky mountain species. Ecology 65:759–766
Sayers RL, Ward RT (1966) Germination responses in alpine species. Bot Gaz 127:11–16
Schütz W, Milberg P (1997) Seed dormancy in Carex canescens: regional differences and ecological consequences. Oikos 78:420–428
Shimizu T (1982) The new alpine flora of Japan in color, vol. I. Hoikusha, Osaka
Shimizu T (1983) The new alpine flora of Japan in color, vol. II. Hoikusha, Osaka
Shimono Y, Kudo G (2001) Pattern of seedling emergence of alpine plants: comparisons between fellfield and snowbed habitats. Mem Natl Inst Polar Res Spec Iss 54:467–478
Shimono Y, Kudo G (2003) Intraspecific variations in seedling emergence and survival of Potentilla matsumurae (Rosaceae) between alpine fellfield and snowbed habitats. Ann Bot 91:21–29
Thompson K, Grime JP (1983) A comparative study of germination responses to diurnally-fluctuating temperatures. J Appl Ecol 20:141–156
Venable DL, Lawlor L (1980) Delayed germination and dispersal in desert annuals: escape in space and time. Oecologia 46:272–282
Venables WN, Ripley BD (2002) Modern applied statistics with S, 4th edn. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Takashi Kohyama, Shiro Tsuyuzaki, Shizuo Suzuki and Tetsuya Kasagi for valuable suggestions in planning and discussion; Kengo Yoshida, Kenji Narita, Tomokazu Tani and Toru Takeuchi for assistance in fieldwork; and Takuya Kubo and Etsushi Kato for help in data analyses. This study was partly supported by a grant-in-aid (#10740355) from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture to Gaku Kudo.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Shimono, Y., Kudo, G. Comparisons of germination traits of alpine plants between fellfield and snowbed habitats. Ecol Res 20, 189–197 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-004-0031-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-004-0031-8