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Germination responses of the Rubia fruticosa Ait. seed dispersal system in different experimental seasons
Author(s) -
Rodríguez A.,
Nogales M.,
Nieves C.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
african journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.499
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1365-2028
pISSN - 0141-6707
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2006.00720.x
Subject(s) - germination , biology , biological dispersal , deserts and xeric shrublands , seed dispersal , botany , diaspore (botany) , horticulture , ecology , habitat , population , demography , sociology
In this paper, we present results on germination patterns of the seed dispersal system of an endemic Macaronesian plant ( Rubia fruticosa ). Seeds from this plant are mainly dispersed by endemic lizards and native warblers; therefore, we included three different treatments: control seeds, seeds extracted from lizards and seeds found in warbler droppings. Seeds from the same pool of every treatment were germinated in two different seasons, one in autumn, coinciding with the arrival of the first rains, and another in spring, coinciding with the arrival of the dry season. A clear differential pattern of germination success was observed between the two seasons. Seeds planted in autumn achieved a higher percentage of germination than those sown in spring in all treatments. The great robustness of these results seems to indicate that germination timing is strongly selected in R. fruticosa and this evolutionary trend probably extends to other vascular plants growing in xeric coastal environments of the Macaronesian islands.