Factors Affecting Seed Germination and Seedling Establishment of Fen‐Meadow Species

By J. Isselstein, J. Tallowin, R. E. Smith. 2002

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Availability of seeds and provision of “safe sites” for seedling recruitment are essential for successful restoration of seminatural grassland communities. Inability to provide species‐specific conditions for seedling recruitment appears to be a major factor limiting establishment of fen‐meadow species on restoration sites. This contention was tested in the field for both germination and establishment conditions for a selection of fen‐meadow species. A Cirsio‐Molinietum fen meadow and an agriculturally semi‐improved species‐poor grass dominated rush pasture were used. Seeds of Carex ovalis, Cirsium dissectum, Molinia caerulea, Succisa pratensis, and Holcus lanatus were sown onto treatments comprising either irrigation or no irrigation, presence or absence of existing vegetation canopy, and presence or absence of soil disturbance. Germination of all except H. lanatus was higher in the fen meadow than in the rush pasture. The fen‐meadow site was less susceptible to drought, provided more light to the seed environment, and showed a stronger day–night variation in relative humidity compared with the rush pasture. All the fen‐meadow species responded strongly to the experimental treatments, whereas H. lanatus showed only a small response. Soil disturbance was the major factor that increased germination. Removal of the vegetation canopy improved germination only in S. pratensis. Conditions affecting survival of seedlings were different from those affecting seed germination. Seedling survival was greater on the fen‐meadow site than on the rush pasture. Canopy presence was the major factor that reduced seedling survival. Few seedlings survived in the presence of the rush pasture canopy. Irrigation and soil disturbance were of minor importance for seedling survival on both sites. Safe sites for seed germination and seedling establishment of fen‐meadow species existed on the fen meadow even without soil disturbance and gap creation. Safe sites for seedling recruitment were not present in the rush pasture. The need for species‐specific definition of safe site characteristics at the two stages of seedling recruitment (i.e., for seed germination and for seedling survival) was demonstrated. The implications of these findings for restoration of seminatural grasslands are discussed.

Subfields: Ecology, Forestry, Nature and Landscape Conservation

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/d09e71bcd99fca6cafecde5dbf3f2ac591486139

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Citations in the corpus

Survival and growth of Acacia dealbata vs. native trees across an invasion front in south-central Chile (2011, methodology): “In order to evaluate the seedling performances durng thefirst drought season in summer2008–2009, themost critical tage of the plant development (Isselstein et al., 2002), we moniored these experiments from November 2008 through the first ains of April 2009 (fall season).”
The wetland continuum: A conceptual framework for interpreting biological studies (2004, background): “…Millar 1976, Fredrickson and Reid 1986, McCrady et al. 1986, Wrubleski 1987, Batt et al. 1989, Kantrud et al. 1989a, Kantrud et al. 1989b, Swanson and Duebbert 1989, Poiani et al. 1996, Robinson et al. 1997, Euliss et al. 1999, Murkin and Ross 2000, Euliss et al. 2002, Isselstein et al. 2002).”
Effects of Frequent Mowing on Survival and Persistence of Forbs Seeded into a Species‐Poor Grassland (2007, background): “Disturbance-generated gaps in grasslands have been investigated in many environments including British chalk grasslands (Davies et al. 1996), fens (Isselstein et al. 2002), the Flint Hills prairie of Kansas (Rogers & Hartnett 2001), northern Great Plains mixed grass prairie (Wilson & Pärtel 2003),…”