Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Germination strategies of annual and short-lived perennial species in the Arabian Desert

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Arid Land Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Germination timing is highly regulated in short-lived plant species since it strongly influences recruitment success of vegetation. In deserts, the spatiotemporal distribution of plant-available water is highly episodic and unpredictable, making winter months more favorable for seed germination when other abiotic conditions co-occur. We hypothesized that changes in photoperiod and thermoperiod would impact germination more in seeds that had undergone in situ storage. We assessed 21 annual and short-lived perennial species in the Arabian Desert to find (1) if seeds were dormant at maturity, (2) if in situ seed storage increased germination percentage compared with no storage, (3) if photoperiod and thermoperiod germination requirements were influenced by in situ storage, and (4) if a phylogenetic association in seed germination could be observed. Seeds of each species collected in early 2017 were divided into two batches. One was tested for germination within one week (fresh seeds). The other was stored in situ at the maternal location (stored seeds) until October 2017 and tested for seed germination in the first week of November. Seed germination was conducted in incubators at two thermoperiods (15°C/20°C and 20°C/30°C; 12 h/12 h), and two photoperiods (12 and 0 h light per day). Results indicated that seed germination percentages of 13 species were significantly enhanced by in situ storage. A thermoperiod response was exhibited by stored, but not fresh seeds. Light exposure increased germination of fresh seeds but had only a minimal effect on stored seeds. Germination traits exhibited no phylogenetic correlation. This result indicated that selection pressure for germination strategy was stronger than that for taxonomic traits of these desert species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adondakis S, Venable D L. 2004. Dormancy and germination in a guild of Sonoran Desert annuals. Ecology, 85(9): 2582–2590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almazroui M, Islam N M, Athar H, et al. 2012. Recent climate change in the Arabian Peninsula: annual rainfall and temperature analysis of Saudi Arabia for 1978–2009. International Journal of Climatology, 32(6): 953–966.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atia A, Smaoui, A, Barhoumi Z, et al. 2011. Differential response to salinity and water deficit stress in Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf. provenances during germination. Plant Biology, 13(3): 541–545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker K S, Steadman K J, Plummer J A, et al. 2005 The changing window of conditions that promotes germination of two fire ephemerals, Actinotus leucocephalus (Apiaceae) and Tersonia cyathiflora (Gyrostemonaceae). Annals of Botany, 96(7): 1225–1236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barua D, Butler C, Tisdale T E, et al. 2012. Natural variation in germination responses of Arabidopsis to seasonal cues and their associated physiological mechanisms. Annals of Botany, 109(1): 209–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baskin C C, Baskin J M. 2014. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination (2nd ed.). San Diego: Academic Press, 666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baskin J M, Baskin C C. 1988. Role of temperature in regulating the timing of germination in Portulaca oleracea. Canadian Journal of Botany, 66: 563–567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baskin J M, Baskin C C. 2004. A classification system for seed dormancy. Seed Science Research, 14(1): 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bates D, Mullen K M, Nash J C, et al. 2014. Minqa: Derivative-Free Optimization Algorithms by Quadratic Approximation. R package version 1.2.4. [2020-02-10]. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=minqa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt A, Carón M M, Verheyen K, et al. 2016a. Germination and seedling performance of five native legumes of the Arabian Desert. Flora, 220: 125–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt A, Pérez-García F, Phondani P C. 2016b. Foliage colour influence on seed germination of Bienertia cycloptera in Arabian Desert. Nordic Journal of Botany, 34(4): 428–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt A, Phondani P C, Phartyal S S, et al. 2016c. Influence of aerial seed banks on germination response in three desert plant species. Journal of Plant Ecology, 10(6): 994–1000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt A, Pérez-García F, Mercedes Carón M, et al. 2016d. Germination response of Salsola schweinfurthii (Chenopodiaceae) to salinity and winged perianth removal. Seed Science and Technology, 44(2): 428–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt A, Gairola S, El-Keblawy A. 2016e. Seed colour affects dormancy and germination requirements in two species of Lotus (Fabaceae). Revista de Biologia Tropical, 64: 483–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt A, Pérez-García F. 2016. Seed dormancy of Ochradenus baccatus (Resedaceae), a shrubby species from Arabian desert regions. Revista de Biologia Tropical, 64: 965–974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt A, Santo A. 2017. Effects of photoperiod, thermoperiod, and salt stress on Gymnocarpos decandrus seeds: potential implications in restoration ecology activities. Botany, 95(11): 1093–1098.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt A, Santo A. 2018. Different ecological strategies during the seed germination phase of nine grasses inhabiting the hyper-arid Arabian Desert. Plant Species Biology, 33(4): 305–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Böer B. 1997. An introduction to the climate of the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Arid Environments, 35(1): 3–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burns J H, Strauss S Y. 2011. More closely related species are more ecologically similar in an experimental test. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(13): 5302–5307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capon B, van Asdall W. 1967. Heat pre-treatment as a means of increasing germination of desert annual seeds. Ecology, 48(2): 305–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carta A, Probert R J, Moretti M, et al. 2014. Seed dormancy and germination in three Crocus ser. verni species (Iridaceae): implications for evolution of dormancy within the genus. Plant Biology, 16(6): 1065–1074.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clauss M J, Venable D L. 2000. Seed germination in desert annuals: an empirical test of adaptive bet hedging. The American Naturalist, 155(2): 168–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Commander L E, Merritt D J, Rokich D P, et al. 2009. The role of after-ripening in promoting germination of arid zone seeds: a study on six Australian species. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161(4): 411–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Clavijo E R. 2005. The reproductive strategies of the heterocarpic annual Calendula arvensis (Asteraceae). Acta Oecologica, 28(2): 119–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Délye C M, Jasieniuk V, Le Corre V. 2013. Deciphering the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds. Trends in Genetics, 29(11): 649–658.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donohue K. 2002. Germination timing influences natural selection on life-history characters in Arabidopsis thaliana. Ecology, 83(4): 1006–1016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donohue K, Rubio de Casas R, Burghardt L, et al. 2010. Germination, postgermination adaptation, and species ecological ranges. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 41: 293–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Keblawy A, Al Neyadi S S, Rao M V, et al. 2011. Interactive effects of salinity, light and temperature on seed germination of sand dunes glycophyte Cyprus conglomeratus growing in the United Arab Emirates deserts. Seed Science and Technology, 39(2): 364–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Keblawy A, Bhatt A, Gairola S. 2013. Perianth colour affects germination behaviour in wind-pollinated Salsola rubescens in Arabian deserts. Botany, 92(1): 69–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Keblawy A. 2017. Light and temperature requirements during germination of potential perennial grasses for rehabilitation of degraded sandy Arabian deserts. Land Degradation & Development, 28(5): 1687–1695.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Keblawy A, Gairola S. 2017. Dormancy regulating chemicals alleviate innate seed dormancy and promote germination of desert annuals. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 36: 300–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erickson T E. 2015. Seed dormancy and germination traits of 89 arid zone species targeted for mine-site restoration in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Ph. Dissertation. Perth: University of Western Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans A S, Cabin R J. 1995. Can dormancy affect the evolution of post-germination traits? The case of Lesquerella fendleri. Ecology, 76(2): 344–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fenner M, Thompson K. 2005. The Ecology of Seeds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 250.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Finch-Savage W E, Leubner-Metzger G. 2006. Seed dormancy and the control of germination. New Phytologist, 171(3): 501–523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallart M, Verdú A M C, Mas M T. 2008. Dormancy breaking in Digitaria sanguinalis seeds: the role of the caryopsis covering structures. Seed Science and Technology, 36(2): 259–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutterman Y. 1972. Delayed Seed dispersal and rapid germination as survival mechanisms of the desert plant Blepharis persica (Burm.). Knntze. Oecologia, 10: 145–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutterman Y. 2002. Survival Strategies of Annual Desert Plants. Heidelberg: Springer, 348.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gutterman Y. 2012. Seed Germination in Desert Plants. New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harel D, Holzapfel C, Sternberg M. 2011. Seed mass and dormancy of annual plant populations and communities decreases with aridity and rainfall predictability. Basic and Applied Ecology, 12(8): 674–684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holdsworth M J, Bentsink L, Soppe W J J. 2008. Molecular networks regulating Arabidopsis seed maturation, after-ripening, dormancy and germination. New Phytologist, 179(1): 33–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hothorn T, Bretz F, Westfall P. 2008. Simultaneous inference in general parametric models. Journal of Mathematical Methods in Biosciences, 50(3): 346–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jombart T, Dray S. 2008. Adephylo: Exploratory analyses for the phylogenetic comparative method. Bioinformatics, 26: 1907–1909.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan G L, Haferkamp M R. 1989. Temperature responses and calculated heat units for germination of several range grasses and shrubs. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 42(1): 41–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan M I, Hassan G, Khan I, et al. 2006. Germination of Asphodelus tenuifolius biotypes as influenced by temperature, dormancy breaking chemicals and their concentrations. Pakistan Journal of Weed Science Research, 12: 313–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lai L M, Chen L J, Jiang L H, et al. 2016. Seed germination of seven desert plants and implications for vegetation restoration. AoB Plants, 8: plw031.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenth R V. 2016. Least-squares means: the R package lsmeans. Journal of Statistical Software, 69: 1–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu K, Cao S, Du G, et al. 2018. Linking seed germination and plant height: a case study of a wetland community on the eastern Tibet Plateau. Plant Biology, 30: 886–893.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu S Z, Liu Y J, Ji Y F, et al. 2013. Seed germination of Corispermum patelliforme in different storage length at room temperature: a dominant annual plant species in the deserts of northern China. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 45: 737–742.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIvor J G, Howden S M. 2000. Dormancy and germination characteristics of herbaceous species in the seasonally dry tropics of northern Australia. Austral Ecology, 25: 213–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menon K, Jayakumar A P, Shahid M, et al. 2014. Seed dormancy and effect of salinity on germination of Citrullus colocynthis. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 5: 566.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michael P J, Steadman K J, Plummer J A. 2006. Climatic regulation of seed dormancy and emergence of diverse Malva parviflora populations from a Mediterranean-type environment. Seed Science Research, 16(4): 273–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milberg P, Andersson L, Thompson K. 2000. Large-seeded spices are less dependent on light for germination than small-seeded ones. Seed Science Research, 10(1): 99–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mira S, González-Benito M E, Ibars A M, et al. 2011. Dormancy release and seed ageing in the endangered species Silene diclinis. Biodiversity and Conservation, 20: 345–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murdoch A J, Ellis R H. 2000. Dormancy, viability and longevity. In: Fenner M. Seeds: the Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities (2nd ed.). Wallingford: CABI Publishing, 183–214.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Norton J, Abdul Majid S, Allan D, et al. 2009. An Illustrated Checklist of the Flora of Qatar. Gosport: Browndown Publications, 67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oksanen A J, Blanchet F G, Kindt R, et al. 2019. Vegan: Community Ecology Package. R package version 2.5-4. [2019-11-09]. https://cran.rproject.org/package=vegan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Omar S A S, Al-Mutawa Y, Zaman S. 2007. Vegetation of Kuwait. Kuwait: Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, 47–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Onofri A, Carbonell E A, Piepho H P, et al. 2010. Current statistical issues in weed research. Weed Research, 50(1): 5–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrie J M. 2007. Arabian desert primer: ornamental potential of hyper-arid adapted plants from Saudi Arabia. Desert Plants, 19–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pons T L. 2000. Seed responses to light. In: Fenner M. Seeds—the Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities. New York: CABI Publishing, 237–260.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Revell L J. 2012. Phytools: An R package for phylogenetic comparative biology (and other things). Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 3(2): 217–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rühl A T, Eckstein R L, Otte A, et al. 2016. Distinct germination response of endangered and common arable weeds to reduced water potential. Plant Biology, 18(S1): 83–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz de Clavijo E. 2005. The reproductive strategies of the heterocarpic annual Calendula arvensis (Asteraceae). Acta Oecologica, 28(2): 119–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakcali MS, Serin M. 2009. Seed germination behaviour of Diplotaxis tenuifolia. EurAsian Journal of BioSciences, 3: 107–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schütz W, Milberg P. 1997. Seed germination in Launaea arborescens: a continuously flowering semi-desert shrub. Journal of Arid Environments, 36(6): 113–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schütz W, Milberg P, Lamont B B. 2002. Seed dormancy, after-ripening and light requirements of four annual Asteraceae in southwestern Australia. Annals of Botany, 90: 707–714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seglias A E, Williams E, Bilge A, et al. 2018. Phylogeny and source climate impact seed dormancy and germination of restoration-relevant forb species. PLoS ONE, 13: e0191931, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191931.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sileshi G W. 2012. A critique of current trends in the statistical analysis of seed germination and viability data. Seed Science Research, 22(3): 145–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silva L M, Fernandes G W. 2014. Effect of seed storage on germination, seedling growth and survival of Mimosa foliolosa (Fabaceae): implications for seed banks and restoration ecology. Tropical Ecology, 55(3): 385–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terradas J. 1991. Mediterranean woody plant growth-forms, biomass and production in the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. In: Ros J D, Prat N. Hom-age to Ramon Margalef or Why Is There Such Pleasure in Studying Nature (Oecologia aquatica; 10), Barcelona: University of Barcelona, 337–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Therneau T M, Grambsch P M. 2000. Modeling Survival Data: Extending the Cox Model. New York, Springer. [2019-11-02]. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3294-8.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Tudela-Isanta M, Ladouceur E, Wijayasinghe M, et al. 2018. The seed germination niche limits the distribution of some plant species in calcareous or siliceous alpine bedrocks. Alpine Botany, 128: 83–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voigt P W, Tischler C R. 1997. Effect of seed treatment on germination and emergence of 3 warm-season grasses. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 50(2): 170–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J H, Baskin C C, Cui X L, et al. 2009. Effects of phylogeny, life history and habitat correlates on seed germination of 69 arid and semi-arid zone species from Northwest China. Evolutionary Ecology, 23: 827–846.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webb C O, Donoghue M J. 2005. Phylomatic: Tree assembly for applied phylogenetics. Molecular Ecology Notes, 5(1): 181–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanne A E, Tank D C, Cornwell W K, et al. 2014. Three keys to the radiation of angiosperms into freezing environments. Nature, 506: 89–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L W, Liu H L, Zhang D Y, et al. 2015. Seed dormancy release and germination characteristics of Corispermum lehmannianum Bunge, an endemic species in the Gurbantunggut Desert of China. Phyton, 84(1): 58–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zuur A, Elena N I, Walker N, et al. 2009. Mixed Effects Models and Extensions in Ecology with R. New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 579.

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), Kuwait.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang, 332900, China

    Arvind Bhatt

  2. School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Narrabri, NSW, 2390, Australia

    David J. Gallacher

  3. Multidisciplinary Center of Barra, Federal University of Western Bahia, Barra, 47100-000, Brazil

    Paulo R. M. Souza-Filho

Authors
  1. Arvind Bhatt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David J. Gallacher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paulo R. M. Souza-Filho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David J. Gallacher.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bhatt, A., Gallacher, D.J. & Souza-Filho, P.R.M. Germination strategies of annual and short-lived perennial species in the Arabian Desert. J. Arid Land 12, 1071–1082 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-020-0023-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-020-0023-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation