Abstract
Many forests restoration programs and efforts depend on seeds. Particularly in the Andes, further information regarding seed germination requirements and seed storage behavior is necessary. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of storage conditions on the germination percentage, the viability and the coefficient of velocity of germination for seeds of three native tree species (Cedrela montana, Weinmannia fagaroides and Oreocallis grandiflora). Under controlled conditions, the seeds were exposed to three levels of seed moisture content and storage temperatures (5 °C, 10 °C and room temperature at approx. 19 °C) for 3, 6 and 12 months. The results showed that at 3–6 months of seed storage under temperatures of 5 and 10 °C, the seeds had a high percentage of germination, viability and germination speed for C. montana and W. fagaroides compared to those stored at room temperature. At 12 months of storage, there was a marked reduction in seed germination in all treatments for both species. Furthermore, the seed germination and viability of O. grandiflora was not influenced by any of the above storage treatments. However, at the end of the experiment a slight decrease was observed, hence this species might be tolerant to medium- and long-term storage conditions. Though limited to just three co-occurring species, the study provided insight into the variability in responses to storage, with preliminary indications of appropriate storage conditions to maximize storability of seeds for restoration programs. Importantly, the study demonstrated the need for empirical testing of storage responses (temperature and duration) of seeds before subjecting untested species to a particular storage regime.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Central Research Office (DIUC) of the Universidad de Cuenca for funding this study. The authors thank Andrea Maza for her assistance in the laboratory. In addition, the authors would like to thank the Empresa Pública Municipal de Telecomunicaciones, Agua Potable, Alcantarillado y Saneamiento de Cuenca (ETAPA) for the logistic support, and the Ministry of the Environment for granting permission to collect seeds in the El Cajas National Park. We thank Megan Mills-Novoa for her English corrections of an early version, Kingsley Dixon and Alena Chilian for their comments and English improvement in the final version of the manuscript.
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XP obtained the funds to support the study. XP and MP planned and carried out the experiment. XP, CP and FM analysed the data. XP, CP, FM and BS wrote, revised and edited the manuscript.
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Appendix
See Fig.
Cumulative seed germination of Cedrela montana (a–c), Oreocallis grandiflora (d–f) and Weinmannia fagaroides (g–i) stored at three levels of moisture content (%) and temperature (5 °C, 10 °C and room temperature) for 3, 6 and 12 months
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Palomeque, X., Patiño Uyaguari, C., Marín, F. et al. Effects of storage on seed germination and viability for three native tree species of Ecuador. Trees 34, 1487–1497 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-020-02018-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-020-02018-2