The role of ecological niche and seed mass in macroevolution of germination tolerance to salinity.

Background And Aims: The limited understanding of how early life history transitions respond to changing environmental conditions constrains our knowledge of climate change impacts. Soil salinity intensification is a significant global issue, yet the eco-evolutionary aspects of germination responses to salinity gradients remain understudied.

Methods: We employed phylogenetic comparative methods, utilizing a century of published records and data on germination responses to salinity gradient, ecological niches and seed traits, to test hypotheses on the variation and evolution of germination tolerance to salinity across 327 plant species.

Global Patterns in the Evolutionary Relations Between Seed Mass and Germination Traits.

The relationship between seed mass and germination traits remains unresolved, with conflicting theoretical predictions. Some studies suggest larger seeds exhibit superior germination and post-germination performance, while others indicate the opposite, possibly due to environmental factors and additional seed traits. To clarify this relationship, we conducted a phylogenetically informed meta-analysis of 1889 plant species worldwide.

Nitrogen fixation rates and aerial root production among maize landraces.

In Mexico, the center of maize origin ( ssp. ), there are landraces from the highlands that develop extensive aerial root systems which secrete a carbohydrate-rich mucilage. This mucilage produces a favorable environment for nitrogenase activity by diazotrophs.

A Model for Changes in Germination Synchrony and Its Implements to Study Weed Population Dynamics: A Case Study of Brassicaceae.

In every agricultural system, weed seeds can be found in every cubic centimeter of soil. Weed seeds, as a valuable trait underlying the fate of weed populations, exhibit differing levels of seed dormancy, ensuring their survival under uncertain conditions. Seed dormancy is considered as an innate mechanism that constrains germination under suitable conditions that would otherwise stimulate germination of nondormant seeds.

Seed germination thermal niche differs among nine populations of an annual plant: A modeling approach.

Germination timing is an important determinant of survival and niche breadth of plants. The annual plant occurs in diverse environments along a steep temperature gradient and thus is a suitable model for the study of germination behavior in response to temperature. We used a modeling approach to compare the germination thermal niche of seeds of nine populations of produced in a common garden.