The role of seed size in the emergence and survival of seedlings in contrasting environments: the case of Ceiba aesculif
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The role of seed size in the emergence and survival of seedlings in contrasting environments: the case of Ceiba aesculifolia Ivonne Martínez‑González1 · Lázaro Rafael Sánchez‑Velázquez1 · Betsabé Ruiz‑Guerra2 · María del Rosario Pineda‑López1 · Noé Velázquez‑Rosas3 Received: 22 October 2019 / Accepted: 3 September 2020 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract In the tropical low deciduous forest, seed size has been recognized as a functional trait that can contribute to the development of restoration strategies due to its influence on the pro‑ cesses of germination, survival and growth of seedlings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of seed size on the seedling emergence and establishment of seedlings of Ceiba aesculifolia in pastures and remnants of tropical low deciduous forest in central Veracruz, Mexico. Three seed sizes were evaluated: small (120–218 mg), medium (219– 316 mg) and large (317–414 mg). Seedling emergence rate was estimated, height, foliar production, stem thickness and insect herbivory were measured monthly in the seedlings. Seedling emergence differed significantly among seed sizes. The large seeds emerged at 40% in the pastures and 24% in the forest remnants, while the medium seeds presented 20 and 27% in these sites, respectively. The small seeds emerged similarly in the pasture (33%) and forest remnant (28%) sites. In the pastures, regardless of seed size, the seedlings presented significantly higher growth rates and foliar production, as well as an increase in the percentage of herbivory. At the end of the study, there was no difference in seedling survival between seed sizes or sites. The results suggest that the seed size only influences the seedling emergence, while the growth and responses to herbivory depend on their func‑ tional traits to face the environmental conditions of the sites. Finally, the ecological and management implications for future restoration programs are discussed. Keywords Tropical dry forest · Seed mass · Seed ecology · Functional trait · Insect herbivory
* Noé Velázquez‑Rosas [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
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New Forests
Introduction Given the urgent need to understand the effects of global environmental change on biodi‑ versity (i.e. deforestation, climatic change, invasive species, contamination, etc.), the use of functional traits as predictors of the impact of such changes on ecosystem functions and on the responses of plants to stressful situations has been recognized (Chapin et al. 1996; Diaz and Cabido 1997, 2001). Plants have strategies and functional traits that favor their regeneration, including the opportunistic use of resources, a wide range of seed sizes and a high capacity for resprouting (Pineda-García et al. 2011; Ferreira et al. 2015). These repre‑ sent useful attributes for consideration in programs of ecological restoration (Khurana and Singh 2000; Pywell et al. 2003; Sandel et al. 2011). Seed size in particular is considered a f
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