Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8186
Title: | Persistence of seed banks in Australian temporary wetlands | Contributor(s): | Brock, Margaret A (author) | Publication Date: | 2011 | DOI: | 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2010.02570.x | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8186 | Abstract: | 1. The ability of seeds to survive periods of drying and wetting that do not lead to seed production will determine the potential species pool for future plant communities of temporary wetlands. I investigated characteristics of the seed banks in sediment from Australian temporary wetlands that might contribute to the ability of aquatic plants to re-establish after extended drought. 2. Experimental investigation into germination from sediment from six sites in five Australian temporary wetlands, with various water regimes, examined two sources of seed bank depletion: (i) length of time dry (longevity up to 12 years) and (ii) successive annual wetting and germination events (up to seven) with intervening periods dry (leaving a residual seed bank), both without any opportunity for replenishment of the seed bank. 3. These wetlands had species-rich, long-lived seed banks that were not exhausted by successive germination events. After three years of dry storage, 90% of the original seed bank species germinated, after six years 75% and after 12 years 20%. After seven successive wetting and drying events without seed bank replenishment, 48% of the original species still germinated. The mean survival time dry for seed bank species, 7.4 years, was longer than the duration of recent droughts. 4. Seed bank composition varied among wetlands and over time; most species did not occur in all wetlands and many occurred in one wetland only. The germination patterns of different species, although differing in detail, tended to be consistent in that all species could survive long dry periods and several wetting and drying events. However, experimental drought significantly diminished species richness and abundance, indicating limits to seed bank persistence. 5. Data from such long-term studies of seed bank persistence should allow prediction of the species richness and composition of the germinating communities in a wetland whose water regime is intentionally or unintentionally altered. This ability to forecast may become particularly important under climate change and the need to predict future wetland conditions. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Freshwater Biology, 56(7), p. 1312-1327 | Publisher: | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd | Place of Publication: | United Kingdom | ISSN: | 1365-2427 0046-5070 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 060204 Freshwater Ecology 060207 Population Ecology 060202 Community Ecology (excl Invasive Species Ecology) |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 960604 Environmental Management Systems 960608 Rural Water Evaluation (incl. Water Quality) 960506 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments |
Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
---|---|
Appears in Collections: | Journal Article |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format |
---|
SCOPUSTM
Citations
77
checked on Apr 6, 2024
Page view(s)
1,154
checked on Mar 24, 2024
Items in Research UNE are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.