Cracking the case: Seed traits and phylogeny predict time to germination in prairie restoration species.

ABSTRACT: Traits are important for understanding how plant communities assemble and function, providing a common currency for studying ecological processes across species, locations, and habitat types. However, the majority of studies relating species traits to community assembly rely upon vegetative traits of mature plants. Seed traits, which are understudied relative to whole-plant traits, are key to understanding assembly of plant communities. This is particularly true for restored communities, which are typically started de novo from seed, making seed germination a critical first step in community assembly and an early filter for plant establishment. We experimentally tested the effects of seed traits (mass, shape, and embryo to seed size ratio) and phylogeny on germination response in 32 specie

SUBMITTER: Barak RS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6010845 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature