Survival of seeds in the seed bank is important for the population dynamics of many plant species, yet the environmental factors that control seed survival at a landscape level remain poorly understood. These factors may include soil moisture, vegetation cover, soil type, and soil pathogens. Because many soil fungi respond to moisture and host species, fungi may mediate environmental drivers of...

The strong mechanistic relationship between climatic factors and seed dormancy and germination suggests that forecast climatic changes will significantly affect seed bank persistence. This review focuses on the potential impact of changing temperature, rainfall and fire regimes on the longevity of long-term persistent seed-banks. Currently, there are few studies investigating the mechanistic re...

Throughout the southeastern United States, Rhus and Ruhm species are common associates oI the southern pines on a wide array of upland site and stand conditions. Because of their ability to overrun disturbed sites, these species are categorized as competitors to pint during stand regeneration. Since prescribed burning is often used for site preparation in advance of pine regeneration, this stud...

Lindera melissifolia (Walter) Blume, or pondberry, is federally listed as an endangered shrub and grows in warm, humid lowland forests of seven states in the southeastern United States. e dioecious plants usually form clonal colonies as a result of rhizome sprouting. Although L. melissifolia can annually produce many bright red spicy scented drupes, information on reproduction of the species i...

Winter chilling is of central importance in the phenology of temperate annual and perennial plants. Chilling accelerates flowering through the process of vernalization and breaks both bud and seed dormancy, permitting the onset of growth in the spring. The quantitative effects of chilling in floral promotion in winter annual Arabidopsis accessions are well-documented, but very little is known a...

Maciej Wódkiewicz* The soil seed bank and seed germination capacity of Poa annua in the vicinity of the Polish Halina Galera* Antarctic Station (South Shetlands, Antarctica) were investigated. It was documented that Katarzyna J. Chwedorzewska† annual bluegrass can reproduce sexually and produce a functional seed bank of close to Irena Giełwanowska‡ and 5000 seeds/m under maritime Antarctic cond...

A Mojave Desert shrub community was experimentally burned to understand changes in seed bank of desert annual plant species in response to wildfire. Seed mortality ranged from 55 to 80%, and fire caused significant losses of native and alien annual seeds. Schismus arabicus, Schismus barbatus, Bromus madritensis, Bromus tectorum, Erodium cicutarium and Plantago spp. made up >95% of the seed bank...