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dc.contributor.authorNewton, R.J.
dc.contributor.authorMackenzie, B.D.E.
dc.contributor.authorLamont, Byron
dc.contributor.authorGomez-Barreiro, P.
dc.contributor.authorCowling, R.M.
dc.contributor.authorHe, Tianhua
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-08T08:45:28Z
dc.date.available2023-03-08T08:45:28Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.identifier.citationNewton, R.J. and Mackenzie, B.D.E. and Lamont, B.B. and Gomez-Barreiro, P. and Cowling, R.M. and He, T. 2021. Fire-mediated germination syndromes in Leucadendron (Proteaceae) and their functional correlates. Oecologia. 196 (2): pp. 589-604.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90771
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s00442-021-04947-2
dc.description.abstract

A mechanistic understanding of fire-driven seedling recruitment is essential for effective conservation management of fire-prone vegetation, such as South African fynbos, especially with rare and threatened taxa. The genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae) is an ideal candidate for comparative germination studies, comprising 85 species with a mixture of contrasting life-history traits (killed by fire vs able to resprout; serotinous vs geosporous) and seed morphologies (nutlets vs winged achenes). Individual and combined effects of heat and smoke on seed germination of 40 species were quantified in the laboratory, and Bayesian inference applied to distinguish biologically meaningful treatment effects from non-zero, but biologically trivial, effects. Three germination syndromes were identified based on whether germination was dependent on, enhanced by, or independent of direct fire cues (heat and smoke). Seed storage location was the most reliable predictor of germination syndromes, with soil-stored seeds c. 80% more likely to respond to direct fire cues (primarily smoke) than canopy-stored seeds. Notable exceptions were L. linifolium, with an absolute requirement for smoke to germinate (the third serotinous species so reported), and two other serotinous species with smoke-enhanced germination. Nutlet-bearing species, whether serotinous or geosporous, were c. 70% more likely to respond to fire cues than winged seeds, but there was no evidence for an effect of phylogeny or persistence strategy on germination. This comprehensive account of seed germination characteristics and identification of germination syndromes and their predictors, supports propagation, conservation and restoration initiatives in this iconic fynbos genus and other fire-prone shrubs with canopy or soil-stored seeds.

dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherSPRINGER
dc.relation.sponsoredbyhttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP130103029
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectScience & Technology
dc.subjectLife Sciences & Biomedicine
dc.subjectEcology
dc.subjectEnvironmental Sciences & Ecology
dc.subjectBayesian inference
dc.subjectHeat
dc.subjectSerotiny
dc.subjectSmoke
dc.subjectSoil seed bank
dc.subjectENDOGENOUS CYTOKININ LEVELS
dc.subjectCAPE FLORISTIC REGION
dc.subjectCANOPY SEED STORAGE
dc.subjectLEUCOSPERMUM-CORDIFOLIUM
dc.subjectSMOKE
dc.subjectCUES
dc.subjectHEAT
dc.subjectVEGETATION
dc.subjectDORMANCY
dc.subjectWATER
dc.titleFire-mediated germination syndromes in Leucadendron (Proteaceae) and their functional correlates
dc.typeJournal Article
dcterms.source.volume196
dcterms.source.number2
dcterms.source.startPage589
dcterms.source.endPage604
dcterms.source.issn0029-8549
dcterms.source.titleOecologia
dc.date.updated2023-03-08T08:45:28Z
curtin.departmentSchool of Molecular and Life Sciences (MLS)
curtin.accessStatusOpen access
curtin.facultyFaculty of Science and Engineering
curtin.contributor.orcidLamont, Byron [0000-0001-9279-7149]
curtin.contributor.orcidHe, Tianhua [0000-0002-0924-3637]
curtin.contributor.researcheridHe, Tianhua [A-1534-2009]
dcterms.source.eissn1432-1939
curtin.contributor.scopusauthoridLamont, Byron [24556291700]
curtin.contributor.scopusauthoridHe, Tianhua [57202043265] [7202512885]


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