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Seed size, shape and persistence in the soil in an Iranian flora

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Ken Thompson ,
Adel Jalili ,
John G. Hodgson ,
Behnam Hamzeh'ee ,
Younes Asri ,
Sue Shaw ,
Anoushiravan Shirvany ,
Shahbaz Yazdani ,
Mostafa Khoshnevis  and
Fatemeh Zarrinkamar
...Show all authors
Ken Thompson*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Adel Jalili
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
John G. Hodgson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Behnam Hamzeh'ee
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
Younes Asri
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
Sue Shaw
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Anoushiravan Shirvany
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
Shahbaz Yazdani
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
Mostafa Khoshnevis
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
Fatemeh Zarrinkamar
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad-Ali Ghahramani
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
Reza Safavi
Affiliation:
Department of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, PO Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran
*
*Correspondence Fax: +44 (0) 114 2220015 Email: ken.thompson@sheffield.ac.uk
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Abstract

Previous studies on several floras have shown that species with small, rounded seeds tend to accumulate persistent seed banks in the soil, while species with larger, less compact seeds do not. The suggested underlying mechanism is predation. Small seeds experience less predation and are more likely to become buried, which itself offers significant protection from predation by vertebrates. The relationship between seed size and shape and persistence in the soil was examined for the flora of the Arasbaran Protected Area in northwest Iran. Seed size was related to persistence in the soil in Iran in the same way as in most other floras examined, but seed shape was not. It is suggested that predation prevents persistence of large seeds in most floras. Where large-seeded persistent species predominate, for example in Australia and (to a lesser extent) in New Zealand, other factors may interfere with the relationship between seed size and predation.

Keywords

dormancygranivoryhard seedspredationrodentsseed bank
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , December 2001 , pp. 345 - 355
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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