Global change impacts on arid zone ecosystems: Seedling establishment processes are threatened by temperature and water stress.

ABSTRACT: Recruitment for many arid-zone plant species is expected to be impacted by the projected increase in soil temperature and prolonged droughts associated with global climate change. As seed dormancy is considered a strategy to avoid unfavorable conditions, understanding the mechanisms underpinning vulnerability to these factors is critical for plant recruitment in intact communities, as well as for restoration efforts in arid ecosystems. This study determined the effects of temperature and water stress on recruitment processes in six grass species in the genus Triodia R.Br. from the Australian arid zone. Experiments in controlled environments were conducted on dormant and less-dormant seeds at constant temperatures of 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, and 40°C, under well-watered (Ψ_soil = 

SUBMITTER: Lewandrowski W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8216921 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature