Introduction. Ecologically Meaningful Germination Studies. Types of Seed Dormancy. Germination Ecology of Seeds with Nondeep Physiological Dormancy. Germination Ecology of Seeds with Morphophysiological Dormancy. Germination Ecology of Seeds with Physical Dormancy. Germination Ecology of Seeds in the Persistent Seed Bank. Causes of Within-Species Variations in Seed Dormancy and Germination Characteristics. A Geographical Perspective on Germination Ecology: Tropical and Subtropical Zones. A Geographical Perspective on Germination Ecology: Temperate and Arctic Zones. Germination Ecology of Plants with Specialized Life Cycles and/or Habitats. Biogeographical and Evolutionary Aspects of Seed Dormancy. Subject Index.

A Definitive Book on Seed Ecology@@@Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination

Mountain ecosystems support a significant one-third of all terrestrial biodiversity, but our understanding of the spatiotemporal maintenance of this high biodiversity remains poor, or at best controversial. The Himalaya hosts a complex mountain ecosystem with high topographic and climatic heterogeneity and harbors one of the world's richest floras. The high species endemism, together with increasing anthropogenic threats, has qualified the Himalaya as one of the most significant global biodiversity hotspots. The topographic and climatic complexity of the Himalaya makes it an ideal natural laboratory for studying the mechanisms of floral exchange, diversification, and spatiotemporal distributions. Here, we review literature pertaining to the Himalaya in order to generate a concise synthesis of the origin, distribution, and climate change responses of the Himalayan flora. We found that the Himalaya supports a rich biodiversity and that the Hengduan Mountains supplied the majority of the Himalayan floral elements, which subsequently diversified from the late Miocene onward, to create today's relatively high endemicity in the Himalaya. Further, we uncover links between this Miocene diversification and the joint effect of geological and climatic upheavals in the Himalaya. There is marked variance regarding species dispersal, elevational gradients, and impact of climate change among plant species in the Himalaya, and our review highlights some of the general trends and recent advances on these aspects. Finally, we provide some recommendations for conservation planning and future research. Our work could be useful in guiding future research in this important ecosystem and will also provide new insights into the maintenance mechanisms underpinning other mountain systems.

/pdf/spatiotemporal-maintenance-of-flora-in-the-himalaya-1u0yegeno2.pdf

Spatiotemporal maintenance of flora in the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot: Current knowledge and future perspectives

Setting priority conservation areas of wild Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) in China's first national park

The spatial distributions of plant species are results of variable environmental gradients, including climatic and edaphic factors, biotic factors, different eco-physiological processes, species-specific characteristics, and resource requirements, thus producing spatial heterogeneity. The species distribution and their rate of change across elevational gradients in nineteen forest communities were studied using the quadrat method and statistical modeling tools. Pindari-Sunderdhunga-Kafni (PSK) area of the Kumaun region and the Lata-Tolma-Phagti (LTP) area in the Garhwal region in the buffer zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve were selected as the extensive study sites. A total of 4278 individual trees belonging to 42 families in the PSK site and 6436 individual trees belonging to 25 families in the LTP site were recorded across elevational gradients between 2050 to 3800 m a.s.l. Because of the narrow elevational range and complexity in the field-based data structure, Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was used to predict the rate of change of species richness and species density. The results showed a significant decrease in density at a rate of 319–355 ind ha-1 per 100 m elevation in the Pindari-Sunderdhunga-Kafni site (P

Spatial prediction of plant species richness and density in high-altitude forests of Indian west Himalaya

The timing of germination has long been recognized as a key seedling survival strategy for plants in highly variable alpine environments. Seed dormancy and germination mechanisms are important factors that determining the timing of germination. To gain an understanding of how these mechanisms help to synchronize the germination event to the beginning of the growing season in two of the most popular Primula species (P. secundiflora and P. sikkimensis) in the Hengduan Mountains, Southwest China, we explored their seed dormancy and germination characteristics in the laboratory and their soil seed bank type in the field. Germination was first tested using fresh seeds at two alternating temperatures (15/5 and 25/15°C) and five constant temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C) in light and dark, and again after dry after-ripening at room temperature for 6 months. Germination tests were also conducted at a range of temperatures (5-30, 25/15, and 15/5°C) in light and dark for seeds dry cold stored at 4°C for 4 years, after which they were incubated under the above-mentioned incubation conditions after different periods (4 and 8 weeks) of cold stratification. Base temperatures (Tb) and thermal times for 50% germination (θ50) were calculated. Seeds were buried at the collection site to test persistence in the soil for 5 years. Dry storage improved germination significantly, as compared with fresh seeds, suggesting after-ripening released physiological dormancy (PD); however, it was not sufficient to break dormancy. Cold stratification released PD completely after dry storage, increasing final germination, and widening the temperature range from medium to both high and low; moreover, the Tb and θ50 for germination decreased. Fresh seeds had a light requirement for germination, facilitating formation of a persistent soil seed bank. Although the requirement reduced during treatments for dormancy release or at lower alternating temperatures (15/5°C), a high proportion of viable seeds did not germinate even after 5 years of burial, showing that the seeds of these two species could cycle back to dormancy if the conditions were unfavorable during spring. In this study, fresh seeds of the two Primula species exhibited type 3 non-deep physiological dormancy and required light for germination. After dormancy release, they had a low thermal requirement for germination control, as well as rapid seed germination in spring and at/near the soil surface from the soil seed bank. Such dormancy and germination mechanisms reflect a germination strategy of these two Primula species, adapted to the same alpine environments.

/pdf/seed-dormancy-and-soil-seed-bank-of-the-two-alpine-primula-42shynotwa.pdf

Seed Dormancy and Soil Seed Bank of the Two Alpine Primula Species in the Hengduan Mountains of Southwest China.

The relationship between elevation and seed-plant species richness in the Mt. Namjagbarwa region (Eastern Himalayas) and its underlying determinants

Diversity patterns of cushion plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: A basic study for future conservation efforts on alpine ecosystems

Species distribution modelling and seed germination of four threatened snow lotus (Saussurea), and their implication for conservation

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The relationship between elevation and seed-plant species richness in the Mt. Namjagbarwa region (Eastern Himalayas) and its underlying determinants

Diversity patterns of cushion plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: A basic study for future conservation efforts on alpine ecosystems

Species distribution modelling and seed germination of four threatened snow lotus (Saussurea), and their implication for conservation