Variation in seed germination of 134 common species on the eastern Tibetan Plateau: phylogenetic, life history and environmental correlates.

ABSTRACT: Seed germination is a crucial stage in the life history of a species because it represents the pathway from adult to offspring, and it can affect the distribution and abundance of species in communities. In this study, we examined the effects of phylogenetic, life history and environmental factors on seed germination of 134 common species from an alpine/subalpine meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. In one-way ANOVAs, phylogenetic groups (at or above order) explained 13.0% and 25.9% of the variance in germination percentage and mean germination time, respectively; life history attributes, such as seed size, dispersal mode, explained 3.7%, 2.1% of the variance in germination percentage and 6.3%, 8.7% of the variance in mean germination time, respectively; the environmental factors tempera

SUBMITTER: Xu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4043731 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature