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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2022.101919.].
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Although tulips are famous worldwide as ornamental plants, the knowledge about the seed germination of wild-growing species remains limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of temperature on seed germination of the local, wild-growing Greek endemics Tulipa bakeri and T. goulimyi and the sub-Balkan endemic T. undulatifolia, which are threatened with extinction, as well as the Mediterranean T. australis and the Asiatic T. clusiana naturalized on Chios Island (Greece). The germination responses at five constant temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 °C) were assessed for all studied species in growth chambers under a 12:12 light-dark photoperiod. The ecological profile for each species was developed in R using open-source bioclimatic data; this was built to illustrate the abiotic environmental conditions of their wild habitats, to facilitate the examination of temperature effects on seed germination, and to facilitate their cultivation in artificial environments. The results indicated that the seed germination requirements of the studied species had a range-specific temperature dependence, reflecting their natural adaptation to local ecological conditions. Seed germination of T. bakeri, T. australis, and T. clusiana was observed only in a narrow range of very low temperatures (5-10 °C), whereas germination of T. undulatifolia and T. goulimyi occurred at temperatures between 5 and 15 °C. A temperature increase to 20 or 25 °C resulted in the absence of seed germination for all five Greek tulip species. The germinated seeds were planted in pots and bulblets were developed under greenhouse conditions. Seeds and bulblets constitute valuable genetic materials for the cultivation and ex situ conservation of these five Greek tulip species, three of which are threatened with extinction.
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Due to botanical tulips' economic interest coupled with limited information regarding their seed germination, we investigated the effect of temperature on dormancy release and germination in two endangered local endemic tulip species of Greece (Tulipa hageri Heldr., T. orphanidea Heldr.). Their germination responses at five constant temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 °C) were evaluated in growth chambers, while the type of seed dormancy and the temperature effect on its release were determined based on open-sourced, R-derived species-specific ecological profiles illustrating abiotic conditions of their wild habitats. The results indicated a range-specific temperature dependence in seed germination for both studied species with seed germination observed only in very low temperatures (5-10 °C). The seeds of both species after dispersal had an underdeveloped embryo. The existence of a complex morphophysiological seed dormancy was confirmed in both species by the significant embryo development only at 5 and 10 °C (almost doubled after 30 days) coupled with observed delay in germination only at low temperatures. Furthermore, to facilitate their cultivation and ex situ conservation, the germinated seeds were planted in pots to develop bulblets in greenhouse conditions resulting in bigger T. orphanidea bulblets compared to T. hageri.
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The idea of entropy, which has its roots in information theory and proposes that one may measure the degree of uncertainty associated with the prediction of bits and pieces of information, has been widely used by biologists and ecologists for decades to define biological diversity. For ecologists, the core of the issue is whether or not two species' distribution taken from the same habitat are the same or distinct. The Shannon index and Simpson diversity are well-known in ecology; however, the non-linearity of these indices may cause a misinterpretation of the underlying diversity, as shown by Lou Jost (2006) and others. Applying the proposed template, one can:â¢calculate several biodiversity indices,â¢compare two different forest stands (or formations, or plots), or two different profiles in two different times, for the same forest stand (or formation, or plot), in terms of biodiversity.
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In the context of plant conservation and sustainable use of unique neglected and underutilized phytogenetic resources, this study focused on the Tunisian local endemic Teucrium luteum subsp. gabesianum (Lamiaceae). Using Geographical Information Systems and online databases, detailed taxon-specific ecological profiling was produced for the first time, which illustrated the temperature and climate conditions in its wild habitats and facilitated the investigation of how temperature affects its seed germination, thus making its cultivation in anthropogenic environments possible. Following the seed propagation first reported herein (77.5−81.25% at temperatures between 15 and 25 °C), species-specific in situ and ex situ conservation efforts or sustainable exploitation strategies can be enabled. This study also reported for the first time how chemical and integrated nutrient management (INM) fertilizers affect the growth and pilot cultivation of its seedlings (INM more advantageous). The firstly-reported herein DNA barcoding may enable its traceability, allowing future product design. The multidisciplinary approach followed has paved the way to bridge important research gaps hindering conservation efforts and/or the sustainable exploitation of this local Tunisian endemic plant to date. Based on the aforementioned results, the feasibility and readiness timescale for its sustainable exploitation was overviewed and re-evaluated herein, upgrading (>two-fold) its potential value for the medicinal-cosmetic, agro-alimentary, and ornamental-horticultural sectors.
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In the frame of the sustainable use of neglected and underutilized phytogenetic resources, and along with numerous studies in Abies spp. due to the innate conservation value of fir forests, this research focused on the Moroccan endemic fir, Abies marocana. The aim was triple-fold: to assess its potential and dynamics in economic sectors for sustainable exploitation; to determine the ecological conditions in which the species naturally thrives; and to find the appropriate requirements for its successful seed germination. We sourced multifaceted evaluations for three economic sectors performed in three levels, using 48 attributes and eight criteria from previous studies of our own, and the relevant species-specific assessments are overviewed herein in detail. The species' ecological profile was constructed using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and open access data (Worldclim). Seed germination trials were performed to examine the effect of cold stratification (non-stratified, one- and two-months stratified seeds), the influence of four temperatures (10 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C, and 25 °C), and interactions thereof in relation to germination percentage (GP) and mean germination time (MGT). The experiments showed that the interaction of cold stratification and germination temperature has a strong effect on the GP and MGT of A. marocana seeds. A detailed GIS-derived ecological profile of the focal species was created in terms of precipitation and temperature natural regimes, enabling the interpretation of the seed germination results. The multifaceted evaluations reveal an interesting potential of the Moroccan fir in different economic sectors, which is mainly compromised due to extant research gaps, unfavorable conditions, and low stakeholder attraction. The findings of this study fill in extant research gaps, contribute to in situ and ex situ conservation strategies, and can facilitate the sustainable exploitation of this emblematic local endemic plant of northern Morocco.
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BACKGROUND: Arbutus unedo is a valuable Mediterranean shrub as an ornamental plant as well as fruit tree. Fresh fruits of A. unedo are a good source of antioxidants, of vitamins C, E and carotenoids and also are characterized by the high content of mineral elements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) and cold stratification (CS) on seed germination performance were investigated in A. unedo seeds collected from three provenances in the Northern part of Greece. Seeds of each provenance were soaked in solutions of GA3 (500, 1000 or 2000 ppm) for 24 h and subsequently were subjected to CS at 3 - 5°C for 0, 1, 2, and 3 months. RESULTS: Non-stratified seeds of the three A. unedo provenances which were not treated with GA3 solutions exhibited very low germination. However, seed germination was significantly improved after a one-month period of CS. Similarly, the non-stratified seeds of all three provenances became non-dormant after the treatment with 2000 ppm GA3 and they germinated at high percentages. However, in untreated seeds with GA3, after a one-month CS period the seeds of the Pieria provenance exhibited higher germination percentage than that of Rodopi provenance seeds. Furthermore, in non-stratified seeds, the Pieria provenance seeds treated with GA3 germinated at higher percentages and more rapidly than those of the other two provenances. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that untreated seeds exhibited very low germination at 20/25°C. However, in all three provenances seed germinability was significantly improved by a one-month period of CS or treatment of seeds with 2000 ppm GA3. Furthermore, there was a considerable variability among seed provenances in response to the treatments which were applied.