Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T23:06:09.530Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Phenotypic plasticity in seed germination relates differentially to overwintering and flowering temperatures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2014

Eduardo Fernández-Pascual  and
Borja Jiménez-Alfaro
Eduardo Fernández-Pascual*
Affiliation:
Jardín Botánico Atlántico, Universidad de Oviedo, Avda. del Jardín Botánico 2230, 33394 Gijón/Xixón, Spain
Borja Jiménez-Alfaro
Affiliation:
Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
*
*Correspondence Fax: 0034985130685 E-mail: eduardofp@indurot.uniovi.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Phenotypic plasticity in seed dormancy may allow plant species to cope with rapid environmental changes, such as climate warming. In controlled experimental settings, plasticity in dormancy has been found to relate to temperature during seed maturation, but this relationship has not been tested in field conditions. Here we analyse for the first time the variation in dormancy during five successive years in wild populations of the study species Centaurium somedanum, to determine how this variation is related to average temperatures during specific seasons of plant activity. We performed laboratory germination experiments to measure: (1) the degree of dormancy at dispersal; and (2) the sensitivity to dormancy-breaking factors. We calculated average temperatures during four seasons of plant activity (overwintering, vegetative growth, flowering and seed maturation) for each year, and tested the relationship between these temperatures and patterns of dormancy variation, using Generalized Linear Models. Dormancy varied among sites and years, seeds being more dormant in colder years. For the degree of dormancy at dispersal, we found a positive relationship with flowering temperature and a significant effect of collection site. For the sensitivity to dormancy-breaking factors, we found no significant differences among sites, a positive relationship with flowering temperature and a negative relationship with overwintering temperature. Phenotypic plasticity in dormancy in C. somedanum is thus especially marked in the sensitivity to dormancy-breaking factors. Temperatures during overwintering and flowering have differential effects on this plasticity, allowing the plant to detect the gradient of seasonality, a main ecological feature of its distribution. These results highlight the importance of taking into account more than average temperatures when assessing the response of plant phenotypic plasticity to climate change.

Keywords

Centaurium somedanumdormancy variationGentianaceaeplant–climate interactionsplant regenerationseed ecology
Type
Research Papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , December 2014 , pp. 273 - 280
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allen, P.S. and Meyer, S.E. (2002) Ecology and ecological genetics of seed dormancy in downy brome. Weed Science 50, 241–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andersson, L. and Milberg, P. (1998) Variation in seed dormancy among mother plants, populations and years of seed collection. Seed Science Research 8, 29–38.Google Scholar
Baskin, C.C. and Baskin, J.M. (1998) Seeds:. Ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. San Diego, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Chiang, G.C., Bartsch, M., Barua, D., Nakabayashi, K., Debieu, M., Kronholm, I., Koornneef, M., Soppe, W.J., Donohue, K. and De Meaux, J. (2011) DOG1 expression is predicted by the seed-maturation environment and contributes to geographical variation in germination in Arabidopsis thaliana . Molecular Ecology 20, 3336–3349.Google Scholar
Cochrane, A., Daws, M.I. and Hay, F. (2011) Seed-based approach for identifying flora at risk from climate warming. Austral Ecology 36, 923–935.Google Scholar
Daws, M.I., Lydall, E., Chmielarz, P., Leprince, O., Matthews, S., Thanos, C.A. and Pritchard, H.W. (2004) Developmental heat sum influences recalcitrant seed traits in Aesculus hippocastanum across Europe. New Phytologist 162, 157–166.Google Scholar
Donohue, K., de Casas, R.R., Burghardt, L., Kovach, K. and Willis, C.G. (2010) Germination, postgermination adaptation, and species ecological ranges. pp. 293–319 in Futuyma, D.J.; Shafer, H.B.; Simberloff, D. (Eds) Annual review of ecology, evolution, and systematics, Vol.41. Palo Alto, Annual Reviews.Google Scholar
Fenner, M. (1991) The effects of the parent environment on seed germinability. Seed Science Research 1, 75–84.Google Scholar
Fenner, M. and Thompson, K. (2005) The ecology of seeds. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fernández-Pascual, E., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., García-Torrico, A.I., Pérez-García, F. and Díaz, T.E. (2012) Germination ecology of the perennial Centaurium somedanum, a specialist species of mountain springs. Seed Science Research 22, 199–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernández-Pascual, E., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Caujapé-Castells, J., Jaén-Molina, R. and Díaz, T.E. (2013) A local dormancy cline is related to the seed maturation environment, population genetic composition and climate. Annals of Botany 112, 937–945.Google Scholar
Figueroa, R., Herms, D.A., Cardina, J. and Doohan, D. (2010) Maternal environment effects on common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) seed dormancy. Weed Science 58, 160–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finch-Savage, W.E. and Leubner-Metzger, G. (2006) Seed dormancy and the control of germination. New Phytologist 171, 501–523.Google Scholar
García-Huidobro, J., Monteith, J.L. and Squire, G.R. (1982) Time, temperature and germination of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides S. & H.): I. Constant temperature. Journal of Experimental Botany 33, 288–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gutterman, Y. (2000) Maternal effects on seeds during development. pp. 59–84 in Fenner, M. (Ed.) Seeds: the ecology of regeneration in plant communities. Wallingford, CABI.Google Scholar
Hardegree, S.P. (2006) Predicting germination response to temperature. I. Cardinal-temperature models and subpopulation-specific regression. Annals of Botany 97, 1115–1125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herranz, J.M., Copete, M.Á., Ferrandis, P. and Copete, E. (2010) Intermediate complex morphophysiological dormancy in the endemic Iberian Aconitum napellus subsp. castellanum (Ranunculaceae). Seed Science Research 20, 109–121.Google Scholar
Hoyle, G.L., Steadman, K.J., Daws, M.I. and Adkins, S.I. (2008) Pre- and post-harvest influences on seed dormancy status of an Australian Goodeniaceae species, Goodenia fascicularis . Annals of Botany 102, 93–101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoyle, G.L., Venn, S.E., Steadman, K.J., Good, R.B., McAuliffe, E.J., Williams, E.R. and Nicotra, A.B. (2013) Soil warming increases plant species richness but decreases germination from the alpine soil seed bank. Global Change Biology 19, 1549–1561.Google Scholar
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) . (2013) Climate Change 2013. The physical science basis. Summary for policy makers. Geneva, IPCC.Google Scholar
Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Bueno Sánchez, Á. and Fernández Prieto, J.A. (2005) Ecología y conservación de Centaurium somedanum M. Laínz (Gentianaceae), planta endémica de la Cordillera Cantábrica (España). Pirineos 160, 45–67.Google Scholar
Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Fernández-Pascual, E. and García-Torrico, A.I. (2010) Centaurium somedanum M. Laínz. pp. 100–101 in Bañares, Á.; Blanca, G.; Güemes, J.; Moreno, J.C.; Ortiz, S. (Eds) Atlas y libro rojo de la flora vascular amenazada de España. Adenda 2010. Madrid, Dirección General de Conservación de la Naturaleza.Google Scholar
Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Fernández Menéndez, S., Bueno Sánchez, Á. and Fernández Prieto, J.A. (2013) Vegetation and hydrogeology along the distribution range of Centaurium somedanum, an endemic plant of mountain calcareous springs. Alpine Botany 123, 31–39.Google Scholar
Luzuriaga, A.L., Escudero, A. and Pérez-García, F. (2006) Environmental effects on seed morphology and germination in Sinapis arvensis (Cruciferae). Weed Research 46, 163–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matesanz, S., Gianoli, E. and Valladares, F. (2010) Global change and the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in plants. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1206, 35–55.Google Scholar
Mondoni, A., Rossi, G., Orsenigo, S. and Probert, R.J. (2012) Climate warming could shift the timing of seed germination in alpine plants. Annals of Botany 110, 155–164.Google Scholar
Moyer, J.L. and Lang, R.L. (1976) Variable germination response to temperature for different sources of winterfat seed. Journal of Range Management 29, 320–321.Google Scholar
Nicotra, A.B., Atkin, O.K., Bonser, S.P., Davidson, A.M., Finnegan, E., Mathesius, U., Poot, P., Purugganan, M.D., Richards, C. and Valladares, F. (2010) Plant phenotypic plasticity in a changing climate. Trends in Plant Science 15, 684–692.Google Scholar
Ooi, M.K.J. (2012) Seed bank persistence and climate change. Seed Science Research 22, 53–60.Google Scholar
Ooi, M.K.J., Auld, T.D. and Denham, A.J. (2009) Climate change and bet-hedging: interactions between increased soil temperatures and seed bank persistence. Global Change Biology 15, 2375–2386.Google Scholar
Orrù, M., Mattana, E., Pritchard, H.W. and Bacchetta, G. (2012) Thermal thresholds as predictors of seed dormancy release and germination timing: altitude-related risks from climate warming for the wild grapevine Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris . Annals of Botany 110, 1651–1660.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pritchard, H.W. and Manger, K.R. (1990) Quantal response of fruit and seed germination rate in Quercus robur L. and Castanea sativa Mill, to constant temperatures and photon dose. Journal of Experimental Botany 41, 1549–1557.Google Scholar
Pritchard, H.W., Tompsett, P.B. and Manger, K.R. (1996) Development of a thermal time model for the quantification of dormancy loss in Aesculus hippocastanum seeds. Seed Science Research 6, 127–135.Google Scholar
Pritchard, H.W., Steadman, K.J., Nash, J.V. and Jones, C. (1999) Kinetics of dormancy release and the high temperature germination response in Aesculus hippocastanum seeds. Journal of Experimental Botany 50, 1507–1514.Google Scholar
Probert, R.J. (2000) The role of temperature in the regulation of seed dormancy and germination. pp. 261–292 in Fenner, M. (Ed.) Seeds: the ecology of regeneration in plant communities. Wallingford, CABI.Google Scholar
Qaderi, M.M., Cavers, P.B., Hamill, A.S., Downs, M.P. and Bernards, M.A. (2006) Maturation temperature regulates germinability and chemical constituents of Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) cypselas. Canadian Journal of Botany 84, 28–38.Google Scholar
Reed, T.E., Schindler, D.E. and Waples, R.S. (2011) Interacting effects of phenotypic plasticity and evolution on population persistence in a changing climate. Conservation Biology 25, 56–63.Google Scholar
Schütz, W. and Rave, G. (2003) Variation in seed dormancy of the wetland sedge, Carex elongata, between populations and individuals in two consecutive years. Seed Science Research 13, 315–322.Google Scholar
Steadman, K.J. and Pritchard, H.W. (2004) Germination of Aesculus hippocastanum seeds following cold-induced dormancy loss can be described in relation to a temperature-dependent reduction in base temperature (Tb) and thermal time. New Phytologist 161, 415–425.Google Scholar
Vleeshouwers, L.M., Bouwmeester, H.J. and Karssen, C.M. (1995) Redefining seed dormancy: an attempt to integrate physiology and ecology. Journal of Ecology 83, 1031–1037.Google Scholar
Wagmann, K., Hautekèete, N.-C., Piquot, Y., Meunier, C., Schmitt, S.E. and Van Dijk, H. (2012) Seed dormancy distribution: explanatory ecological factors. Annals of Botany 110, 1205–1219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walck, J.L., Hidayati, S.N., Dixon, K.W., Thompson, K. and Poschlod, P. (2011) Climate change and plant regeneration from seed. Global Change Biology 17, 2145–2161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, K.J., Seavers, G.P., Peters, N.C.B. and Marshall, M.A. (1999) Influence of soil moisture on the competitive ability and seed dormancy of Sinapis arvensis in spring wheat. Weed Research 39, 309–317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar