Authors: A N Breen J H Richards
Publish Date: 2008/05/15
Volume: 157, Issue: 1, Pages: 13-19
Abstract
Plants with limited resources adjust partitioning among growth survival and reproduction We tested the effects of water and nutrient amendments on seed production size and quality in Sarcobatus vermiculatus greasewood to assess the magnitude and importance of changes in reproductive partitioning In addition we assessed interactions among the environment of seedproducing plants adult plant scale seed size and seedling microenvironment seedling scale on successful seedling establishment Interactions of these factors determine the scale of resource heterogeneity that affects seedling establishment in deserts Both total number of seeds produced per plant and seed quality weight and germination increased significantly in the enriched treatment in a 3year field experiment Seedling length 3 days after germination and seed N concentration other measures of seed quality were higher for seed from both irrigated and enriched plants than for seed from control plants Field S vermiculatus seed production and quality can be substantially increased with irrigation and nutrient enrichment at the adult plant scale and this allows management of seed availability for restoration However based on a greenhouse study seedling environment not the environment of the seedproducing plant or seed size was the most important factor affecting seedling germination survival and growth Thus it appears that production of more seed may be more important than improved seed quality because higher quality seed did not compensate for a lowresource seedling environment For both natural establishment and restoration this suggests that heterogeneity at the scale of seedling microsites perhaps combined with fertilization of adult shrubs or multiplant patches would produce the greatest benefit for establishing seedlings in the fieldFunding was provided by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to A N B the California State Lands Commission C99017 and the California Agricultural Experiment Station We thank Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and US Borax Lake Minerals Operation for cooperation Research assistance provided by members of the Richards’ lab is greatly appreciated
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