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Seed Germination Ecology of Hawaiian Montane Species
C. Baskin
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
Non-Technical Summary
The montane zone of Hawaii ranges in elevation from 500-2,700 m, and it has a variety of plant communities, including dry grasslands, dry shrublands, dry forests, mesic forests, wet herblands, wet sedgelands, wet mixed communities, wet shrublands, and wet forests. This zone has been highly disturbed by humans; consequently, many community types as well as individual species have become very rare. Therefore, conservation efforts involve habitat restoration as well as protection and propagation of rare species.
A significant problem in restoration projects frequently is lack of plants of appropriate species for re-introduction. The ultimate goal is to provide people who are propagating Hawaiian native species, as well as those who are involved in habitat restoration, with a database for montane species that includes (1) the seed dormancy class, and (2) information on dormancy breaking and germination requirements of the seeds. Not only do plant propagators need to be able to break seed dormancy, but people involved in managing sites for long-term persistence of a species need to understand what natural environmental factors are required to break dormancy.
The purpose is is learn more about seed dormancy and germination and thus to provide people who are propagating Hawaiian native species for restoration efforts with a database for montane species that includes (1) the seed dormancy class, and (2) information on dormancy breaking and germination requirements of each species.
2009 Project Description
The ultimate goal of this project is to provide people who are propagating Hawaiian native species with information on dormancy-breaking and germination requirements of seeds. This information will be used to propagate species for restoration projects, or in some cases the horticulture trade. During 2009, new studies were initiated on seeds of Coprosma ernodeoides, Gardenia brighamii, Myoporum sandwicense, Santalum ellipticum, Sapindus saponaria, and these studies are still in progress. Studies on seeds of Dubautia menziesii, Daubautia scabra, Eragrostis atropidides, Neraudia ovata, Touchardia latifolia and Vaccinium calycinum were completed near the end of 2009. Long-term studies on seeds of of Rhus sandwicensis, Sophora chrysophylla and Styphelia spp. have been continued during 2009.
2009 Impact
A full-day workshop entitled "A short-course on seed dormancy and germination with emphasis on Hawaiian species" University of Hawaii, Manoa, 31 July 2009;
Lecture. "How seed dormancy studies serve plant conservation: Using information on biogeography and phylogeny of seed dormancy to facilitate propagation of plant species for restoration" Lyon Arboretum, University of Hawaii, Manoa, 3 August 2009;
Symposium talk. "Seed dormancy and germination of Hawaiian montane species: meeting common goals of basic science and conservation" Hawaii Conservation Conference, Honolulu, HI, 30 July 2009;
Lecture: "Seed dormancy profile for the Xishuangbanna Tropical Seasonal Rainforest Dynamics Plot: First approximation" Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Kunming, China. 24 December 2009;
Half-day workshop entitled "Future research objectives for studies on seed dormancy and germination in the Junggar Desert, northwest China." Xinjiang Agriculture University, 27 June 2009;
Lecture. "Seed germination ecology in a specific habitat: Cedar glades," Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China. 17 June 2009;
Lecture. "Seed dormancy and germination of cedar glade plants" Cedars of Lebanon Annual Wildflower Weekend, Lebanon, TN, 2 May 2009
2009 Publications
Jayasuriya, K. M. G. G., J. M. Baskin, R. L. Geneve and C. C. Baskin (2009) Sensitivity cycling and mechanism of physical dormancy break in seeds of Ipomoea hederacea (Convolvulaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 170: 429-443.
Jayasuriya, K. M. G. G., J. M. Baskin and C. C. Baskin (2009) Sensitivity cycling and its ecological role in seeds with physical dormancy. Seed Science Research 19: 3-13.
Baskin, C. C., C. T. Chien, S. Y. Chen and J. M. Baskin (2009) Epicotyl morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of Daphniphyllum glaucescens, a woody member of the Saxifragales. International Journal of Plant Sciences 170: 174-181.
Phartyal, S. S., T. Kondo,Y. Hoshino, C.C. Baskin and J.M. Baskin (2009) Morphological dormancy in seeds of the autumn-germinating shrub Lonicera caerulea var. emphyllocalyx (Caprifoliaceae). Plant Species Biology 24: 20-26.
Baskin, C. C., C. T. Chien, S. Y. Chen and J. M. Baskin (2009) Epicotyl morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of Daphniphyllum glaucescens, a woody member of the Saxifragales. International Journal of Plant Sciences 170: 174-181.
Jayasuriya, K. M. G. G., J. M. Baskin, R. L. Geneve, C. C. Baskin (2009) Phylogeny of Seed Dormancy in Convolvulaceae, Subfamily Convolvuloideae (Solanales). Annals of Botany 103: 45-63.
Jayasuriya, K. M. G. G., J. M. Baskin, R. L. Geneve, C. C. Baskin (2009) A proposed mechanism for physical dormancy break in seeds of Ipomoea lacunosa (Convolvulaceae). Annals of Botany 103: 433-445.