Question: Are seed mass and shape related to persistence in the soil seed bank among 54 species of the Israeli flora? Search method: Persistence was determined by soil seed bank investigations in which the fraction of non-germinated viable seeds was regarded as the persistent soil seed bank. When seedling emergence had ceased but before new seeds were shed, all soil from the upper 5 cm of 120 q...

We studied the spatial pattern of seed predation across a forest-old field edge in both fall and winter to assess the potential for seed predators to influence plant spatial patterns. We used a 100 x 100 m grid that began 30 m inside the forest and extended 60 m into the old field. Inside this grid we placed seed stations at regular 10 m intervals and monitored seed removal. Seed predation vari...

Seed size and toughness affect seed predators, and size-dependent investment in mechanical defence could affect relationships between seed size and predation. We tested how seed toughness and mechanical defence traits (tissue density and protective tissue content) are related to seed size among tropical forest species. Absolute toughness increased with seed size. However, smaller seeds had high...

Although it is increasingly clear that exotic invasive species affect seed-dispersal mutualisms, a synthetic examination of the effect of exotic invasive species on seed-dispersal mutualisms is lacking. Here, we review the impacts of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) on seed dispersal. We found that sites with L. humile had 92 per cent fewer native ant seed dispersers than did sit...

SUMMARY Avocado seed are usually considered as waste or as a source of seedlings suitable for use as rootstocks. This paper emphasizes the changing composition of avocado seed and how as a storage organ certain constituents are translocated from it to other portions of the fruit or tree. The fresh and dry weight and some of the inorganic constituents were determined in the dry matter of the see...

BACKGROUND The aim was to determine the incidence of seed migration not only to the chest, but also to the abdomen and pelvis after transperineal interstitial prostate brachytherapy with loose (125)I seeds. METHODS We reviewed the records of 267 patients who underwent prostate brachytherapy with loose (125)I seeds. After seed implantation, orthogonal chest radiographs, an abdominal radiograph...

Phytic acid (myo-inositol-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-hexakisphosphate or Ins P(6)) typically represents approximately 75% to 80% of maize (Zea mays) seed total P. Here we describe the origin, inheritance, and seed phenotype of two non-lethal maize low phytic acid mutants, lpa1-1 and lpa2-1. The loci map to two sites on chromosome 1S. Seed phytic acid P is reduced in these mutants by 50% to 66% but seed t...

Seed dormancy has played a significant role in adaptation and evolution of seed plants. While its biological significance is clear, molecular mechanisms underlying seed dormancy induction, maintenance and alleviation still remain elusive. Intensive efforts have been made to investigate gibberellin and abscisic acid metabolism in seeds, which greatly contributed to the current understanding of s...

Legume seeds are important as protein and oil source for human diet. Understanding how their final seed size is determined is crucial to improve crop yield. In this study, we analyzed seed development of three accessions of the model legume, Medicago truncatula, displaying contrasted seed size. By comparing two large seed accessions to the reference accession A17, we described mechanisms associ...

Although post-dispersal seed predators are common and often reduce seed density, their influence on plant population abundance remains unclear. On the one hand, increasing evidence suggests that many plant populations are seed limited, implying that seed predators could reduce plant abundance. On the other hand,.it is generally uncertain whether the magnitude of seed limitation imposed by grani...