Seed Germination in a Seasonal Tropical Forest in Panama: A Community Study

Seed germination in the seasonal tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, was studied at the community level to (1) determine the seasonal timing of germination of the community, (2) identify primary selective factors controlling timing of germination, (3) determine the relative importance of dormancy vs. timing of seed dispersal as mechanisms controlling timing of germination, (4) examine inter— and intraspecific components of variance in length of dormancy, and (5) identify major seed germination syndromes. Three community—level measures of seedling emergence indicated that there was a unimodal community peak in germination within the first 2 mo of the 8—mo—long rainy season. Of the °185 dicot, mostly woody, species germinating each year, the median time of emergence of 75% of the species occurred within the 1st 3 mo. There was a unimodal peak in germination in pioneer tree species, lianas, canopy trees, wind— and animal—dispersed species, and seedlings with and without persistent seed reserves. In contrast, there was no distinct peak period of emergence in understory species and shade—tolerant tree species. Initial seedling height of species emerging sequentially throughout the rainy season did not increase. The early emergence of most species, including three—fourths of the 35 species fruiting in the late rainy season, indicated that the early rainy season was the optimal time to emerge. Maximizing the length of the first growing season was not an important factor selecting for early emergence, because later—emerging species did not compensate for the shorter growing season by being larger at germination or by having seed reserves for rapid growth. Seedling—seedling competition is a primary biotic factor selecting for early emergence in pioneer species growing in the intensely competitive light—gap habitat. In shaded understory habitats, where competition among seedlings is much less intense, understory and shade—tolerant tree species emerged throughout the rainy season. Mean length of dormancy (MLD),the time between sowing and germination, of 157 woody dicot species on Barro Colorado Island ranged from 2 to 370 d. In over half the species, MLD exceeded 4 wk; hence, delays in germination are common. The season in which seeds were dispersed and the dispersal mechanism explained small but significant portions of the variance in MLD among species; life form explained none; but differences among three germination syndromes explained two—thirds of this variance. In the delayed—rainy syndrome (18% of all species) seeds were dispersed in the rainy season but were dormant until the beginning of the next rainy season, 4—8 mo later. Dormancy is the primary mechanism controlling time of germination. In the delayed—rainy syndrome and the intermediate—dry syndrome which follows, the length of the dormant period decreased as the interval between seed dispersal and the beginning of the rainy season decreased. In the intermediate—dry syndrome (42% of all species) seeds were dispersed during the during the dry season and remained dormant until the beginning of the rainy season. Seeds are primarily dispersed 1—2 mo before the beginning of the rainy season, which reduces the number of false germination cues encountered and decreases the length of time seeds are exposed to postdispersal predation while dormancy prevents germination during dry season rains. In the rapid—rainy syndrome (40% of all species) seeds were dispersed in the rainy season and germinated during, but not early in, that season. Dormancy has been replaced entirely by timing of dispersal as a mechanism controlling time of germination. Half of these species germinated in <2 wk, the rest in 2—16 wk.