BACKGROUND Although the effect of water level on germination in soil seed banks has been documented in many ecosystems, the mechanism is not fully understood, and to date no empirical studies on this subject exist. Further, no work has been done on the effect of water level on seed banks of drying and saline-alkaline wetlands in alpine areas on the Tibetan Plateau. METHODOLOGY We examined the...

Our ability to manage gene flow within traditional agroecosystems and their repercussions requires understanding the biology of crops, including farming practices' role in crop ecology. That these practices' effects on crop population genetics have not been quantified bespeaks lack of an appropriate analytical framework. We use a model that construes seed-management practices as part of a crop'...

and deterministic processes regulate spatio-temporal variation in seed bank diversity" (2012). USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications. Paper 231. Abstract Question: Seed banks often serve as reservoirs of taxonomic and genetic diversity that buffer plant populations and influence post-disturbance vegetation trajectories; yet evaluating their importance requires understanding how their c...

A proper choice of a dissimilarity measure is important in surveys investigating genetic relationships among germplasm with molecular marker data. The objective of our study was to examine 10 dissimilarity coefficients widely used in germplasm surveys, with special focus on applications in plant breeding and seed banks. In particular, we (i) investigated the genetical and mathematical propertie...

changes in seed dormancy were selected during the domestication of crop plants from wild-plant species, because some features of dormancy that provide ecological advantages presented agronomic disadvantages within a farmed system. seed dormancy varies widely among seed batches, even for seeds of the same genotype, indicating large environmental influences. for genetic studies, it is essential t...

Seed banks play a crucial role in arid plant communities because they confer stability and longterm persistence. However, seed banks have high temporal and spatial variability, with dramatic changes in density and composition. The aim of this study was to test whether seasonal change affected seed bank community structure and spatial pattern. Moreover, we wanted to know if the effect driven by ...

The landscapes of Inner Mongolia are widely known for the vast Stipa krylovii steppes. However, overgrazing and other improper land uses have extensively degraded the Stipa krylovii steppe ecosystem in recent decades. Knowledge about the soil seed banks and the remaining vegetation in these damaged ecosystems is crucial for guiding the restoration efforts. Using a germination method, this study...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Seed longevity and persistence in soil seed banks may be especially important for population persistence in ecosystems where opportunities for seedling establishment and disturbance are unpredictable. The fire regime, an important driver of population dynamics in sagebrush steppe ecosystems, has been altered by exotic annual grass invasion. Soil seed banks may play an activ...