The Fabaceae(legume family) is one of the largest families of plants with a worldwide distribution and a major role in agriculture and in agroforestry.A hard seed coat impermeable to water is a typical feature of seve...The Fabaceae(legume family) is one of the largest families of plants with a worldwide distribution and a major role in agriculture and in agroforestry.A hard seed coat impermeable to water is a typical feature of several species.Physical dormancy delays and reduces germination so that mechanical,physical and chemical scarification methods have been classically used to break seed dormancy of many species.We evaluate the effectiveness of a methodology to scarify seeds of several woody Fabaceae of ecological and economical importance,including Robinia pseudoacacia and Acacia dealbata and the shrubs Cytisus scoparius,C.multiflorus and Ulex europaeus.We describe the optimized use of a handheld rotary tool(HRT),and compare its effectiveness with other scarification methods reported to break dormancy such as boiling or dry heating.Total germination and/or speed of germination were enhanced after the application of the HRT,with germination percentages significantly higher than those achieved by other methods of scarification.Based on a thorough literature review,a mode of action for the HRT is suggested which could operate by breaking the physical and physiological dormancy of treated seeds through thecombined action of coat abrasion and moderate temperatures.Considering these results,we recommend the application of this rapid,effective,low-cost and highly reproducible HRT method to break seed dormancy and enhance germination of these species and others with similar dormancy constraints.展开更多
Coastal dunes represent priority habitats for conservation due to the provision of valuable ecosystem services such as land protection,water supply or biodiversity conservation.Soil microbial communities are of crucia...Coastal dunes represent priority habitats for conservation due to the provision of valuable ecosystem services such as land protection,water supply or biodiversity conservation.Soil microbial communities are of crucial importance to maintain plant diversity due to harsh environmental conditions,water limitation and nutrient scarcity.Invasive alien plants represent a major threat to ecosystem conservation.Here,we explored different impacts of Carpobrotus edulis,a succulent plant invading coastal areas worldwide,on the function and structure of bacterial communities.Sand represents a challenging substrate due to low organic matter content and limited microbial activity.We optimized bacterial extraction for functional evaluation before assessing ecosystem impacts produced by C.edulis.We compared 12 extracting procedures combining different soil storage,sample amount and extracting solutions on the functional activity of sand communities through the community-level physiological profile.We further explored the function(using Biolog Ecoplates)and structure[using polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(PCR-DGGE)]of bacterial communities from dunes invaded by C.edulis.Saline solution consistently increased bacterial cells detected by cytometry(P≤0.001).Principal component analysis suggested a limited temporal framework(0–24 h)in which community function can be explored without significant alterations in C substrate consumption.Changes under C.edulis invasion exhibited a different pattern of C substrate utilization comparing native and non-native zones(interspecific),but also between native zones(intraspecific),suggesting that functional impacts are site-dependent.Complementary,results obtained from PCR-DGGE indicated that the bacterial community structure of native dunes significantly differed from dunes invaded by C.edulis.展开更多
基金funded by the Xunta de Galicia(Spain) through Project XUGA 07MDS030310PR
文摘The Fabaceae(legume family) is one of the largest families of plants with a worldwide distribution and a major role in agriculture and in agroforestry.A hard seed coat impermeable to water is a typical feature of several species.Physical dormancy delays and reduces germination so that mechanical,physical and chemical scarification methods have been classically used to break seed dormancy of many species.We evaluate the effectiveness of a methodology to scarify seeds of several woody Fabaceae of ecological and economical importance,including Robinia pseudoacacia and Acacia dealbata and the shrubs Cytisus scoparius,C.multiflorus and Ulex europaeus.We describe the optimized use of a handheld rotary tool(HRT),and compare its effectiveness with other scarification methods reported to break dormancy such as boiling or dry heating.Total germination and/or speed of germination were enhanced after the application of the HRT,with germination percentages significantly higher than those achieved by other methods of scarification.Based on a thorough literature review,a mode of action for the HRT is suggested which could operate by breaking the physical and physiological dormancy of treated seeds through thecombined action of coat abrasion and moderate temperatures.Considering these results,we recommend the application of this rapid,effective,low-cost and highly reproducible HRT method to break seed dormancy and enhance germination of these species and others with similar dormancy constraints.
基金P.S.-A.was funded by the Regional Council of Education,University and Professional Training(Conselleria de Educacion,Universidade e Formacion Profesional)from the Government of Galicia(Xunta de Galicia)through the annual Postdoctoral Plan'Axudas de apoio a etapa de formacion posdoutoral nas universidades doSistema universitario de Galicia'(grant ref.ED481B-2019-088)L.G.was funded by Xunta de Galicia,Spain(CITACA Strategic Partnership,grantref.:ED431E2018/07).
文摘Coastal dunes represent priority habitats for conservation due to the provision of valuable ecosystem services such as land protection,water supply or biodiversity conservation.Soil microbial communities are of crucial importance to maintain plant diversity due to harsh environmental conditions,water limitation and nutrient scarcity.Invasive alien plants represent a major threat to ecosystem conservation.Here,we explored different impacts of Carpobrotus edulis,a succulent plant invading coastal areas worldwide,on the function and structure of bacterial communities.Sand represents a challenging substrate due to low organic matter content and limited microbial activity.We optimized bacterial extraction for functional evaluation before assessing ecosystem impacts produced by C.edulis.We compared 12 extracting procedures combining different soil storage,sample amount and extracting solutions on the functional activity of sand communities through the community-level physiological profile.We further explored the function(using Biolog Ecoplates)and structure[using polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(PCR-DGGE)]of bacterial communities from dunes invaded by C.edulis.Saline solution consistently increased bacterial cells detected by cytometry(P≤0.001).Principal component analysis suggested a limited temporal framework(0–24 h)in which community function can be explored without significant alterations in C substrate consumption.Changes under C.edulis invasion exhibited a different pattern of C substrate utilization comparing native and non-native zones(interspecific),but also between native zones(intraspecific),suggesting that functional impacts are site-dependent.Complementary,results obtained from PCR-DGGE indicated that the bacterial community structure of native dunes significantly differed from dunes invaded by C.edulis.
