Eva M. CANADAS, Miguel BALLESTEROS, Francisco VALLE, Juan LORITE

Does gypsum infuence seed germination?

Flora inhabiting gypsum outcrops in arid environments shows a high level of specialization. However, the processesinvolved are still unclear, specifcally at the key stage of germination. Here, to assess whether gypsum could chemically infuence seedgermination, we tested the germination of species according to 3 functional groups: gypsophiles, gypsovags, and calcicoles. A total of24 taxa were selected, all occurring in gypsum and limestone substrates, under a semiarid and dry Mediterranean climate. Tree levelsof gypsum (CaSO 4·2H 2O) solution (low = 0.5 g/L, medium = 1 g/L, and high = 2.4 g/L) and 1 control treatment of distilled water weretested. Results depended on the particular species rather than on the functional group. We found that gypsum favored germinationin some species ( Lepidium subulatum L. and Gypsophila struthium L.), whereas signifcant negative efects appeared for only 1 species(Rosmarinus ofcinalis L.). In contrast, most of the species studied responded neutrally to gypsum solutions. Our results suggest thatchemical features of gypsum could ofer an advantage at the germination stage for certain species, rather than posing a constraint forseed germination.

PDF

___

Akpulat HA, Celik N (2005). Flora of gypsum areas in Sivas in the eastern part of Cappadocia in Central Anatolia, Turkey. J Arid Environ 61: 2746.
Ballesteros M, Cañadas EM, Foronda A, Fernández-Ondoño E, Peñas J, Lorite J (2012). Vegetation recovery of gypsum quarries: short-term sowing response to diferent soil treatments. App Veg Sci 15: 187197.
Bolker BM, Brooks ME, Clark CJ, Geange SW, Poulsen JR, Stevens MHH, White JS (2009). Generalized linear mixed models: a practical guide for ecology and evolution. Trends Ecol Evol 24: 127135.
Clymo RS (1962). An experimental approach to part of the calcicole problem. J Ecol 50: 707731.
Duvigneaud P, Denaeyer-De Smet S (1966). Accumulation du soufre dans quelques espèces gypsophiles dEspagne. B Soc Roy Bot Belg 99: 263269 (article in French with Spanish abstract).
Escribá MC, Laguna E (2006). Estudio de la germinación de Ononis tridentata L. Acta Bot Malacitana 31: 8995 (article in Spanish with English abstract).
Escudero A, Carnes LF, Pérez-García F (1997). Seed germination of gypsophytes and gypsovags in semi-arid central Spain. J Arid Environ 36: 487497.
Escudero A, Iriondo JM, Olano JM, Rubio A, Somolinos RC (2000). Factors afecting the establishment of a gypsophyte: the case of Lepidium subulatum (Brassicaceae). Am J Bot 87: 861871.
Escudero A, Somolinos R, Olano JM, Rubio A (1999). Factors controlling the establishment of Helianthemum squamatum , an endemic gypsophile of semi-arid Spain. J Ecol 87: 290302.
Gankin R, Major J (1964). Arctostaphylos myrtifolia, its biology and relationship to the problem of endemism. Ecology 45: 792808.
Guerrero-Campo J, Alberto F, Maestro M, Hodgson J, Montserrat- Martí G (1999). Plant community patterns in a gypsum area of NE Spain. II. Efects of ion washing on topographic distribution of vegetation. J Arid Environ 41: 411419.
Herrero J, Porta J (2000). Te terminology and the concepts of gypsum-rich soils. Geoderma 96: 4761.
Korkmaz M, Özçelik H (2013). Soil-plant relations in the annual Gypsophila (Caryopyhllaceae) taxa of Turkey. Turk J Bot 37: 8598.
Léon V, Rabier J, Notonier R, Barthelémy R, Moreau X, Bouraïma- Madjèbi S, Viano J, Pineau R (2005). Efects of three nickel salts on germinating seeds of Grevillea exul var. rubiginosa, an endemic serpentine Proteaceae. Ann Bot 95: 609618.
Merlo ME, Cabello J, Marquez MM, Aleman MM (1997). On the germination of plants of gypseous soils in relation to the medium calcium content. 36th IAVS Symposium. Island and High Mountain Vegetation: Biodiversity, Bioclimate and Conservation. Serie Informes 40: 197206.
Meyer S (1986). Te ecology of gypsophile endemism in the Eastern Mojave Desert. Ecology 67: 13031313.
Meyer S, García-Moya E, Lagunes-Espinoza LC (1992). Topographic and soil surface efects on gypsophile plant community patterns in Central Mexico. J Veg Sci 3: 429438.
Mota JF, Martínez-Hernández F, Guirado JS (2011). Diversidad Vegetal de las Yeseras Ibéricas. El reto de los archipiélagos edáfcos para la biología de la conservación. Almería, Spain: ADIF-Mediterráneo Asesores Consultores (in Spanish).
Palacio S, Escudero A, Montserrat-Martí G, Maestro M, Milla R, Albert MJ (2007). Plants living on gypsum: beyond the specialist model. Ann Bot 99: 333343.
Parsons PF (1976). Gypsophily in plants - a review. Am Midl Nat 96: 120.
Pérez-García F, González-Benito ME (2006). Seed germination of fve Helianthemum species: efect of temperature and presowing treatments. J Arid Environ 65: 688693.
Pujol JA, Calvo JF, Ramŕez-Díaz L (2000). Recovery of germination from diferent osmotic conditions by four halophytes from southeastern Spain. Ann Bot 85: 279286.
R Development Core Team (2010). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing.
Romao R, Escudero A (2005). Gypsum physical soil crusts and the existence of gypsophytes in semi-arid central Spain. Plant Ecol 181: 127137.
Ruiz JM, Lopez-Cantarero I, Rivero RM, Romero L (2003). Sulphur phytoaccumulation in plant species characteristic of gypsiferous soils. Int J Phytoremediat 5: 203210.
Sekmen Esen AH, Özgür R, Uzilday B, Tanyolaç ZÖ, Dinç A (2012). Te response of the xerophytic plant Gypsophila aucheri to salt and drought stresses: the role of the antioxidant defence system. Turk J Bot 36: 697706.
Song J, Feng G, Tian C, Zang F (2005). Strategies for adaptation of Suaeda physophora , Haloxylon ammodendron and Haloxylon persicum to a saline environment during seed-germination stage. Ann Bot 96: 399405.
Tobe K, Zhang L, Omasa K (2003). Alleviatory efects of calcium on the toxicity of sodium, potassium and magnesium chlorides to seed germination in three non-halophytes. Seed Sci Res 13: 4754.
Zehra A, Gul B, Ansari R, Khan MA (2012). Role of calcium in alleviating efect of salinity on germination of Phragmites karka seeds. S Afr J Bot 78: 122128.