Same, same, but different: dissimilarities in the hydrothermal germination performance of range-restricted endemics emerge despite microclimatic similarities.

Seed germination responses for most narrow-range endemic species are poorly understood, imperilling their conservation management in the face of warming and drying terrestrial ecosystems. We quantified the realized microclimatic niches and the hydrothermal germination thresholds in four threatened taxa (, subsp. and subsp.

Are current seed storage approaches suitable for (Cycadales), a temperate species used in restoration?

In this study, we focused on understanding key storage traits of seeds from , an unusual though important species that is impacted by mining. To support current restoration activities, large amounts of seed from have been regularly collected and stored for up to 8 years under standard seed banking conditions (5°C and 20% relative humidity), though recruitment from directly sown seed is poor. To investigate the underlying constraints to germination on demand, we set out to assess the viability of seeds that had been stored in a restoration seed bank from 6 to 66 months.

Hydrological and thermal responses of seeds from four co-occurring tree species from southwest Western Australia.

Seed germination is a critical stage in the life cycle of most plants and is defined by specific tolerance thresholds beyond which rates and success of germination rapidly decline. Previous studies have demonstrated that widespread plant species commonly germinate over a broad range of temperatures and water stress levels, whereas range-restricted species often exhibit a narrower germination window in terms of temperature and moisture. We investigated the relationships of the key germination traits of maximum germination ( ) and time to 50% germination ( ) in response to temperature (5-35°C) and water stress (-1.

High-resolution distribution modeling of a threatened short-range endemic plant informed by edaphic factors.

Short-range endemic plants often have edaphic specializations that, with their restricted distributions, expose them to increased risk of anthropogenic extinction.Here, we present a modeling approach to understand habitat suitability for R.J.

Defining the role of fire in alleviating seed dormancy in a rare Mediterranean endemic subshrub.

Fire is a topical issue in the management of many ecosystems globally that face a drying climate. Understanding the role of fire in such ecosystems is critical to inform appropriate management practices, particularly in the case of rare and ecologically specialized species. The Mediterranean heathlands are highly fire-prone and occur in a biodiversity hotspot increasingly threatened by human activities, and determining the reproductive thresholds of at-risk heathland species is critical to ensuring the success of future conservation initiatives.

Monitoring of oxidative status in three native Australian species during cold acclimation and cryopreservation.

Three wild species exhibited a significant reduction in antioxidants throughout the cryopreservation protocol, whilst the half-cell reduction potential became more oxidised. Antioxidant content recuperated in recovering shoot tips. Cryopreservation is the most efficient and cost-effective long-term storage solution for the conservation of a wide range of plant species and material.

Evaluation of the new vacuum infiltration vitrification (viv) cryopreservation technique for native Australian plant shoot tips.

Background: The application of a vacuum during the incubation in cryoprotective agents such as PVS2 allows for increased penetration, reducing total incubation times required before vitrification and post-cryopreservation regeneration is achieved.

Objective: This study compared a conventional droplet-vitrification protocol to the new vacuum infiltration vitrification protocol in four Australian plant species.

Materials And Methods: The new vacuum infiltration vitrification applied an 80 kPa vacuum during incubations in loading solution and PVS2.

Using hyperspectral imaging to determine germination of native Australian plant seeds.

We investigated the ability to accurately and non-destructively determine the germination of three native Australian tree species, Acacia cowleana Tate (Fabaceae), Banksia prionotes L.F. (Proteaceae), and Corymbia calophylla (Lindl.

Seed dormancy and persistent sediment seed banks of ephemeral freshwater rock pools in the Australian monsoon tropics.

Background And Aims: Rock pools are small, geologically stable freshwater ecosystems that are both hydrologically and biologically isolated. They harbour high levels of plant endemism and experience environmental unpredictability driven by the presence of water over variable temporal scales. This study examined the hypothesis that the sediment seed bank in monsoon tropical freshwater rock pools would persist through one or more periods of desiccation, with seed dormancy regulating germination timing in response to rock pool inundation and drying events.

Development of cryopreservation for Loxocarya cinerea---an endemic Australian plant species important for post-mining restoration.

We report the development of a cryopreservation protocol for the endemic Western Australian plant species Loxocarya cinerea (Restionaceae). Shoot tips from two genotypes, SXH404 and SXH804, were cryopreserved using the droplet-vitrification technique. Control explants, which were cryoprotected, but not cooled, showed regeneration for both genotypes (SXH404, 22.

Sympatric species of Hibbertia (Dilleniaceae) vary in dormancy break and germination requirements: implications for classifying morphophysiological dormancy in Mediterranean biomes.

Background And Aims: Several ecologically important plant families in Mediterranean biomes have seeds with morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) but have been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to understand the seed ecology of these species by focusing on the prominent, yet intractably dormant Australian genus Hibbertia. It was hypothesized that the slow germination in species of this genus is caused by a requirement for embryo growth inside the seed before germination, and that initiation of embryo growth is reliant upon a complex sequence of environmental cues including seasonal fluctuations in temperature and moisture, and an interplay with light and smoke.

Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions.

As climate change increases vegetation combustibility, humans are impacted by wildfires through loss of lives and property, leading to an increased emphasis on prescribed burning practices to reduce hazards. A key and pervading concept accepted by most environmental managers is that combustible ecosystems have traditionally burnt because plants are fire adapted. In this opinion article, we explore the concept of plant traits adapted to fire in Mediterranean climates.

Prior hydration of Brassica tournefortii seeds reduces the stimulatory effect of karrikinolide on germination and increases seed sensitivity to abscisic acid.

Background And Aims: The smoke-derived compound karrikinolide (KAR(1)) shows significant potential as a trigger for the synchronous germination of seeds in a variety of plant-management contexts, from weed seeds in paddocks, to native seeds when restoring degraded lands. Understanding how KAR(1) interacts with seed physiology is a necessary precursor to the development of the compound as an efficient and effective management tool. This study tested the ability of KAR(1) to stimulate germination of seeds of the global agronomic weed Brassica tournefortii, at different hydration states, to gain insight into how the timing of KAR(1) applications in the field should be managed relative to rain events.

Cryopreservation of Centaurea ultreiae (Compositae) a critically endangered species from Galicia (Spain).

Unlabelled: Ex situ conservation of endangered plants is an important aim in order to preserve biodiversity of flora in threatened ecosystems. Among the biotechnological techniques which can be used, cryopreservation is emerging as a preferred option in many instances. This study describes a cryopreservation technique developed for shoot tips of the endangered species Centaurea ultreiae (Compositae) using a vitrification procedure.