Seed biology of Australian arid zone species: Germination of 18 species used for rehabilitation

Revegetation of disturbed land, particularly in arid environments, is often hindered by low seedling establishment. Information on seed biology and germination cues of keystone species is lacking, particularly in arid Australia; a major zone for mining developments. This study investigated seed characteristics and germination of 18 common species required for rehabilitation of disturbed areas at Shark Bay Salt in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Western Australia. Untreated seeds of seven species (Aphanopetalum clematideum, Atriplex bunburyana, Austrostipa elegantissima, Melaleuca cardiophylla, Pembertonia latisquamea, Rhagodia baccata, Salsola tragus) exhibited high germination percentages. Seeds of two species (Acacia tetragonophylla, Stylobasium spathulatum) had low imbibition, which increased with hot-water treatment, hence require scarification for germination. Gibberellic acid, smoke water and karrikinolide (a butenolide isolated from smoke) substantially increased germination percentages of three species (Anthocercis littorea, Diplolaena grandiflora, Solanum orbiculatum). Seeds of the remaining six species (Dioscorea hastifolia, Eremophila oldfieldii, Nitraria billardierei, Ptilotus exaltatus, Thryptomene baeckeacea, Zygophyllum fruticulosum) had low germination percentages regardless of treatment. Most species germinated equally well at 26/13 °C and 33/18 °C, however seven species had improved performance at 26/13 °C. This study is significant to land managers and conservation agencies with an interest in optimising germination of arid zone seeds for restoration.     

An assessment of revegetation treatments following removal of invasive Pennisetum ciliare (buffelgrass)

In semi-arid regions of North America and Australia, Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link (syn. Cenchrus ciliaris; buffelgrass) is highly invasive and has the potential to introduce fire to fire-intolerant ecosystems. Major efforts to remove P. ciliare continue and it is essential that P. ciliare be prevented from recolonizing. This study investigated potential methods to revegetate with native herbaceous plants: sowing seeds; sowing seeds and mulching; sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings; and relying on natural revegetation from the seedbank. The treatments were applied in 2009 and 2010 at sites in the Sonoran Desert which had undergone P. ciliare removal. Monsoon precipitation was below average each year and seedling emergence and establishment rates were low. There are indications that soil disturbance associated with planting seedlings promoted P. ciliare emergence and increased mortality of brittlebush (Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr.), a common native perennial forb. Addition of mulch may have promoted P. ciliare over native grasses, and seeding had no effect. We did not find competition between herbaceous seedlings. Rather, native and exotic grass seedling densities were positively correlated across sites. Under prevailing conditions, low precipitation appeared to limit herbaceous plant establishment and none of the treatments reduced P. ciliare abundance.     

Pinus jeffreyi establishment along a forest-shrub ecotone in eastern California,USA

We examined large-scale climatic and small-scale biotic and abiotic factors affecting Pinus jeffreyi (Pinaceae) seedling establishment at its low-elevation boundary along the conifer forest-sagebrush steppe ecotone in eastern California, USA. In three successive growing seasons, P. jeffreyi seedlings were planted in three microhabitats (under Artemisia tridentata or Purshia tridentata canopies, and in open intershrub spaces) at a site within the ecotone (2300 m) and at a lower-elevation site (2200 m). We measured Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR; 400–700 nm), soil moisture and temperature, and air temperature in the three microhabitats, and monitored seedling survival, drought stress, and herbivory. At both sites, soil moisture decreased two- to six-fold between May and August of each summer. Maximum and minimum daily air temperatures were higher and lower, respectively, in intershrub areas, as were maximum daily soil temperatures and maximum daily PAR. At the ecotone site, mean P. jeffreyi seedling survival was longest following a very wet winter and shortest following a dry winter. For both elevations, seedlings had shorter survival times in intershrub microsites as compared to shrub microsites. Drought and herbivory both influenced seedling mortality within each microhabitat, but drought was the major determinant of seedling mortality by the end of each summer.     

Role of nurse shrubs in restoration of an arid rangeland: Effects of microclimate on grass establishment

A perennial forage grass, Agropyron desertorum was sown under the canopies of four shrub species or in open areas to test for facilitation during seedling establishment in an arid rangeland in Karnakh, Northeast Iran. Height, area and volume of shrubs were measured. Microclimate conditions and seedling establishment were assessed three times within two consecutive growing seasons. Near surface light intensity and air temperature were lower under shrubs, which led to initially higher soil moisture and grass establishment under the canopy of some shrub species. The leguminous shrub (Astragalus gossypinus) showed facilitation during moderate stress (summer 2009), but shifted to a negative effect during the severe drought (summer 2010). Competition, possibly for light, reduced the establishment of Agropyron seedlings under the cushion-like shrub (Acantholimon prostegium). Salsola arbusculiformis and Artemisia kopetdaghensis respectively showed a neutral and a facilitation effect in the first season, but a combined effect of allelopathy and drought led to the high mortality of Agropyron seedlings under their canopy. In conclusion in this arid rangeland, shrubs may facilitate establishment of understory plants under moderate drought stress, and for non-resource factors (light and temperature), but these positive effects are suppressed due to competition under severe drought conditions.     

Restoration of a degraded tropical dry forest in Macanao,Venezuela

Tropical forests appear to take longer to recover in dry than in humid areas, thus water has been recognized as a key structuring factor in tropical dry forests (TDF). We examine this hypothesis in arid ecosystems of the Macanao Peninsula, Venezuela. Opencast sand mining is one of the primary economic activities in the region, modifying the soil, degrading biodiversity and ecosystem services, and affecting key plant and animal species. We quantified growth and survival of five native trees (Tecoma stans, Bulnesia arborea, Piscidia carthagenensis, Prosopis juliflora and Cercidium praecox) under eight treatments, combining hydrogel, fertilizer and water. After six months in a nursery, 640 seedlings were planted in 16 field plots of 100 m² each, two for each treatment. Eight months later, the treatment with the greatest impact on plant growth was hydrogel only; also the most cost-effective option. Our results support the water-limitation hypothesis, and show that improving water supply to seedlings greatly increases their growth and survival. Our experimental design is applicable to the restoration of any TDF where human disturbance has caused a large-scale modification to the ecosystem, preventing the progression of natural succession.     

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Marine Protected Area: valuing local perspectives in environmental protection

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Queensland, Australia, is one of the most recognisable coral reefs in the world. In 1981 the reef was listed on the World Heritage List, to be preserved as an environmental asset of global significance for all people in perpetuity. The GBR is also a landmark Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the World Heritage Marine Programme. Yet management of this iconic property is not without controversy and in recent years a number of impacts, including coastal developments, increased shipping traffic and global warming, have all threatened the reef. Any breach of Australia's World Heritage obligation to protect and conserve the property may yet result in the GBR being placed on the World Heritage List in Danger. In light of the persistent controversy surrounding GBR management, this paper gives voice to the perspectives and values of stakeholders located in and around one site of controversy, Gladstone Harbour, in the southern section of the GBR World Heritage Area. We present the views of users directly exposed to the controversial port expansion development at Gladstone Harbour in the southern GBR to shed light on the importance of community perspectives in marine park management. Our findings show that local views act to reinforce the global environmental protection narrative which underpins the World Heritage (WH) system. In this study local and global values collide and, we argue, that overlooking the perspectives of users has potential deleterious consequences for WH marine site management.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve reestablishment of Leymus chinensis in bare saline-alkaline soil: Implication on vegetation restoration of extremely degraded land

Salinization and alkalinization are increasing problems in the world. Some land has been degraded to bare saline-alkaline soil where vegetation restoration is difficult because high toxic ionic content and pH are harmful to the survival of introduced plants. We grew Leymus chinensis with and without arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae and G. geosporum) in either pots filled with soil from bare saline-alkaline land, or transplanted seedlings into field plots, to determine the influence of AM fungi on the reestablishment of this dominant grass species in bare degraded land. Association with AM fungi increased the absorption of N, P, K⁺, Ca²⁺, but decreased Mg²⁺, Na⁺ and Cl⁻ uptake under saline-alkaline stress. Therefore, higher K/Na, Ca/Na, P/Na, and P/Cl ratios were found in the inoculated plants. Plants inoculated with AM fungi accumulated significantly higher biomass, root/shoot ratio and tiller number than non-inoculated plants. AM fungi also significantly increased the survival of seedlings when they were transplanted into a bare saline-alkaline land in the field. The improvement of survival, growth and asexual reproduction of inoculated plants indicated that the plant-AM fungi mutualism could improve the reestablishment of vegetation in bare saline-alkaline soil, drive the vegetation restoration to a community dominated by original species.     

Effects of land conversion on the regeneration of Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum and its consequences on the population dynamics in northwestern Mexico

Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum is a columnar cactus currently threatened by the conversion of natural vegetation to buffelgrass pasture (Pennisetum ciliare) in Sonora, Mexico. However, knowledge about its population dynamics is extremely poor, particularly in response to disturbance caused by pasture conversion. We set up experiments to evaluate seed removal, germination, seedling survival and compared demographic patterns on permanent plots from natural vegetation and pasture. Our experiments on regeneration show that seedlings were unable to establish in pasture because of high levels of mortality due to soil drying and cattle trampling. The population growth rate (λ) was 1.060 and 1.086 for the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 periods, respectively, in the native thornscrub vegetation. The slight increase in λ in 2007–2008 was a result of increased fecundity and seedling survival. The highest elasticity values correspond to the survival of large/old individuals. Using the average of both matrices, we obtained a mean matrix to perform numerical analyses simulating demographic variation to project the population behavior under buffelgrass pasture conditions. The numerical simulations suggest a decreasing population only when adult survival probabilities were affected. Given these limitations for population growth, our data suggest that adult populations that persist on pastures will be driven into local extinction.     

More than biofuel? Jatropha curcas root system symmetry and potential for soil erosion control

One of the reasons why Jatropha curcas has recently been hailed as one of the world’s most sustainable biofuel crops, is its suitability to grow on arid land where it offers the additional benefit of erosion control. As arid lands are often very vulnerable to land use changes, it is nevertheless important to fully understand (belowground) plant functional and structural development before they are planted at large scale. Here we introduce possible measurement methods for the root system structure of J. curcas seedlings and adult plants, formulate a set of hypotheses on root system structure, and demonstrate these in the light of root structure stability. Initially developing one taproot and four perpendicularly oriented laterals, the root structure of Jatropha appears to be quite promising to control soil erosion by water and wind on arid land. The lateral roots could decrease soil erodibility through additional soil cohesion, while the taproot and sinkers may enable exploitation of subsurface soil moisture and thus enhance vegetative cover, even in very dry environments.     

半干旱地区沙地麻黄人工栽培技术研究

在深入研究麻黄野生生长特性的基础上,对在半干旱沙地开展麻黄人工栽培过程中的苗木繁育、栽培管理等相关的技术问题进行了较深入的研究。结果表明:①1%浓度的尿素溶液和糖液分别可使麻黄种子发芽率提高10%和26.3%,浓度≥3%时对种子发芽不利;②苗木栽植前应用水或50mg·kg^-1生根粉液浸根,浸根后可提高苗木成活率8%~10%;③栽植麻黄最好选择平坦沙壤地,以利麻黄的高产稳产,流动半流动沙地也可种植,但种植前应进行地面防沙处理;④栽植后应加强水肥管理,特别是要适量追施化肥,用量为尿素11.25g·m^-2加二铵11.25g·m^-2;⑤麻黄人工栽植可提高其有效成份麻黄碱含量,改善其品质。     

樟子松在甘肃干旱区的适应性及发展潜力研究

通过对樟子松在甘肃干旱区的适应性进行研究分析得出:樟子松的耐旱性强于当地主要防护林树种二白杨和沙枣;也较常绿乡土树种侧柏、油松、刺柏、青海云杉适应性强,并表现出明显的生长优势。对樟子松的生长量、移栽造林技术、光合速率、蒸腾强度、水分利用效率、耐盐性、物候期等进行研究的结果表明:樟子松能适应甘肃干旱区气候、自然生态环境条件;同时长势也优于原产地,是优良的防风固沙造林树种,能抗病虫害、可作为用材林树种,改造当地"小老头树"防护林等,其发展潜力大,应大力发展。     

Differential seedling performance and environmental correlates in shrub canopy vs. interspace microsites

Shrubs in semi-arid ecosystems promote micro-environmental variation in a variety of soil properties and site characteristics. However, little is known regarding post-fire seedling performance and its association with environmental variation in former shrub canopy and interspace microsites. We compared post-fire seeding success and various soil properties important for seedling establishment between shrub canopy and interspace microsites in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) plant communities in southeast Oregon, U.S.A. We burned 5, 20 × 20 m sites and established paired canopy and interspace micro-transects seeded with bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata, 193 seeds/m) or crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum, 177 seeds/m). At one year post-fire, seedling density was 69% higher (p = 0.012) for crested wheatgrass (compared to bluebunch wheatgrass) and 75% higher (p = 0.019) for interspace microsites (compared to canopy). However, tiller and leaf area production were over twice as high (p < 0.05) in canopy microsites. Soil color and soil temperature, explained 19–32% of variation in seedling performance metrics. Shrub effects on seeding success are complex and interact with abiotic disturbances, but patterns of increased seedling performance in canopy microsites and their relationships to soil variables may suggest tactics for increasing success of restoration practices.     

Factors controlling regeneration in a rare desert tree Acacia peuce: Limits to soil seed bank accumulation in time and space

We assessed reasons for rare recruitment in Acacia peuce, an Australian arid zone tree, by testing recruitment-limitation hypotheses relating to seed bank inputs and losses. Viable seed occurred in low density in the soil (<1 seed m²) whereas freshly produced seed was non-dormant and germination was high and fast, indicating small rain events can deplete seed banks without providing sufficient moisture for seedling survival. Seed bank seed had lower viability than fresh seed. Insect predation of seed was negligible but seed pod production and seed number/pod were low. Thus, seed bank accumulation is limited by low inputs and continual high seed losses through germination and potentially seed death. No seed shadow effect under adult canopies was found, but dispersal beyond existing stands was negligible. Seed dispersal from parent plants occurred by wind movement of unopened pods whereas the resident ant fauna did not transport seed. Microsite parameters strongly influenced horizontal distribution of buried seed, with all seed being retrieved from vegetated sandy mounds. Overall, we found that seedling recruitment is likely to be confined to large above average rainfall events because the species is unlikely to maintain a seed bank in below-average and average rainfall phases.     

土壤种子库萌发实验在野外与室内的对比分析

实验室萌发法是目前国内外研究土壤种子库时普遍采用的方法,而实验室与野外自然环境在萌发条件上具有很大的差异,在野外进行萌发实验是否对土壤种子库恢复潜力的估计更具有可靠性？鉴于此,我们在塔里木河下游选择了3个典型断面,分别在野外和实验室进行了土壤种子库萌发实验。结果表明:①野外与实验室萌出的物种相同,但幼苗密度在野外(598.8株\5m-2)明显高于实验室(530.3株\5m-2)。②物种组成中,豆科物种在野外实验幼苗密度明显较高;若以生活型划分,多年生草本和灌木幼苗密度在野外明显高于实验室。③各物种在野外和实验室的萌发特征相似,但在实验室萌发速度较快,萌发高峰期提前了2~3 d。综合来看,对于塔里木河下游土壤种子库的研究,在野外进行萌发实验其结果更具有可靠性。这对今后土壤种子库的研究具有参考意义。     

红砂育苗的土壤水分管理初步研究

分布于60~300 mm降水量区域的超旱生半灌木红砂,是该区域的建群种,也是人工辅助植被恢复的主要树种,探索其幼苗成活与土壤含水量之间的关系,对人工辅助恢复植被十分重要。以不同苗龄的红砂容器苗和直播实生幼苗为调查对象,研究了红砂幼苗成活数量与土壤含水量之间的相关性。结果表明：10 cm土层中的体积含水量在20~25 d内持续达20%~30%时,其成活率达到70%左右;25 d以后,含水量在10%时就能维持其生命,苗龄30~40 d后幼苗成活率趋于稳定。     

Effects of seed beetles on the performance of desert legumes depend on host species,plant stage,and beetle density

Seeds of many arid habitat plants have a water-impermeable coat and can germinate only after being scarified. Bruchine seed beetles are important parasites of legume seeds in these environments, but their effect on germination can be unpredictable. Beetles deplete seed resources and can kill the embryo but also scarify seeds. We investigated the effects of a generalist parasite, Stator limbatus, on the germination and growth of two common legumes in the Sonoran desert, catclaw acacia (Acacia greggii) and blue paloverde (Parkinsonia florida). Feeding damage from a single larva greatly increased germination of paloverde but not acacia. This benefit was reduced if seeds were attacked by multiple larvae. Beetle-damaged seeds of both hosts germinated more quickly than did control seeds. Infestation by beetles reduced seedling size, though effects were greater for paloverde than for acacia. Our results demonstrate that the effect of S. limbatus can be highly host-specific. In addition, beetle infestation may enhance or reduce seedling recruitment, depending on the availability of other scarifying agents and the number of larvae per seed. Such contingencies make it difficult to predict the net effect of seed beetles on efforts to control invasive legume hosts or establish native hosts during aridland restoration.     

Dispersal of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytes by Ctenomys cf. knighti (Rodentia) in the northern Monte Desert of Argentina

In arid and semi-arid environments, root-associated fungi may play a key role in plant communities (e.g., seedling establishment, nutrient acquisition, plant survival and heat tolerance). Several studies have shown the importance of small mammals as consumers and dispersal agents of mycorrhizal fungi spores in tropical and temperate ecosystems. However, little is known about the dispersal of infective propagules of endophytic fungi in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. This study analyzed the potential role of the subterranean rodent Ctenomys cf. knighti as a dispersal agent of root-associated fungi. In order to demonstrate this role, we analyzed: (1) the incidence of colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizae and dark septate endophytes on representative plant species of the Monte Desert; (2) the presence of fungal structures of arbuscular mycorrhizae and dark septate endophytes in C. cf. knighti fecal samples; and (3) the infectivity of the fungal propagules contained in the scat and their growth effects on nine native plant species. Data strongly suggest that this South American subterranean rodent may play a key role as a dispersal agent of arbuscular mycorrhizae and dark septate endophytes fungi in the arid environment of the northern Monte Desert of Argentina.     

GROWING NIPA PALM FOR RESTORATION OF ABANDONED SHRIMP PONDS

1 INTRODUCTIONThe rapid increase in the production of culturalmarine shrimp in many countries has caused largescale conversion of mangrove to shrimp ponds.Manyof these endeavors have proven non-sustainable,largely due to inappropriate construction methods…     

入夏前梭梭实生苗生长动态与生境的关系

  以新疆准噶尔盆地南缘当年生梭梭实生苗为研究对象,采用定性和定量相结合的研究途径,分析在气候变化的背景下,实生苗从萌发到入夏前的动态。梭梭种子依赖融雪水为萌发水源,其时地表湿润状况将影响当年幼苗的出土;含清明节为中点的一周内,气温高低及其变化缓急是决定梭梭实生苗存活与否的关键时期。实生苗从子叶到3对真叶期表土5 cm内的含水状况是其存活的制约因素;微地形、地被物或枯落物及在适度覆沙下的淤积土似有助于实生苗的存活,可能通过有关因子削弱气象因素对立地的影响,特别是减缓浅土层水分的波动,从而提高实生苗入夏前的存活率。     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal associations in Solanum centrale (bush tomato), a perennial sub-shrub from the arid zone of Australia

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi convey well documented benefits to plant growth in domesticated species. We investigated AM in Solanum centrale, a desert shrub of central Australia and traditional food for Indigenous Australians. AM were observed in roots of S. centrale from wild and cultivated stands of different ages and management regimes. Greenhouse seedlings grown in sterilised sand were provided with no or minor additions of phosphorus, with or without AM fungi. Inoculated seedlings not fertilised with phosphorus exhibited moderate AM formation. Added phosphorus resulted in an absence of AM. Inoculation did not significantly affect dry weight, root length and plant height of seedlings fertilised with phosphorus but significantly increased the size of unfertilised seedlings. Inoculation significantly increased root phosphorus content, decreased root to shoot ratio and decreased root biomass at all phosphorus additions, despite the absence of observable AM. Thus it appears AM fungi in the root zone influenced certain plant characteristics, regardless of phosphorus nutrition. Overall, S. centrale benefited from the presence of AM through increased phosphorus uptake, but only when the seedlings were growing in soil with extremely low available phosphorus. The response was immediate in our experimental system and is likely to be important in the wild.