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Seed Germination Ecophysiology of Invasive Species
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Seed Germination Ecophysiology of Invasive Species

A special issue of Seeds (ISSN 2674-1024).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2024) | Viewed by 8301

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lina Podda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), University of Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: seed germination; salt stress and recovery; invasive species; Mediterranean coastal habitats; environmental restoration coastal habitats; plant ecology; biodiversity conservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, invasive alien species (IAS) are the second biggest cause of biodiversity loss and species extinctions; their impact may also cause major economic and health problems. Consequently, the management of IAS requires urgent and immediate actions in the form of prevention, early detection, eradication, management, and control activities.

There are some differences in the habitats or regions that IAS tend to prefer, but also in their intrinsic traits, which determine their invasiveness and impact. Invasive plant species present ‘‘winning’’ ecophysiological features not found in native flora such as a good adaptability to a wide range of environmental conditions, the facility to reproduce both sexually and vegetatively, and the ability to produce large amounts of seeds. The seed biology, ecology, seedbank density, and longevity are important drivers of plant competitive performance, contributing to the invasion success.

This Special Issue of Seeds aims to increase the ecological knowledge of IAS and to provide a meaningful contribution to developing management plans for these species by the study of seed germination ecophysiology.

Dr. Lina Podda
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Seeds is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • germination capacity
  • impact
  • management
  • plant invasions
  • prevention
  • reproductive traits
  • seedbank
  • seed ecology
  • seed production
  • threats to global biodiversity

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1147 KiB  
Article
Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Lantana camara L. on Germination of Setaria viridis (L.) P.Beauv. Seeds with Different Degrees of Dormancy
by Marcelly Eduarda da Cunha Lázaro-dos-Santos, Nadine Tonelli Cavalari, Everson dos Santos Ribeiro, Henrique Henning Boyd da Cunha, Livia Marques Casanova, Fernanda Reinert, Bianca Ortiz-Silva and Luana Beatriz dos Santos Nascimento
Seeds 2024, 3(4), 677-688; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3040044 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 285
Abstract
Setaria viridis (green foxtail) is an invasive weed species in various agricultural systems, prompting the search for effective compounds to control its germination. The species has primary and secondary dormancy depending on the time elapsed since post-harvesting, making management strategies more difficult. Several [...] Read more.
Setaria viridis (green foxtail) is an invasive weed species in various agricultural systems, prompting the search for effective compounds to control its germination. The species has primary and secondary dormancy depending on the time elapsed since post-harvesting, making management strategies more difficult. Several weed plants, such as Lantana camara L., can be a source of allelochemicals with herbicidal effects, being a potential candidate for the control of S. viridis. We investigated the effects of L. camara extracts on the germination and initial growth of S. viridis seeds with different degrees of dormancy and revealed a dose-dependent bioherbicide effect. Aqueous extracts of L. camara were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and applied (0.1 to 5.0 mg/mL) to 12- and 110-day post-harvest S. viridis seeds. Seeds were evaluated daily and germination percentage (GP), speed germination index (SGI), and radicle length (RL) were calculated. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were major components of the extract. Lower concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 mg/mL) stimulated and accelerated the germination of S. viridis, breaking its dormancy. Both 1.0 and 5.0 mg/mL concentrations hindered germination, especially in 12 dph seeds. The 1.0 mg/mL concentration resulted in longer roots, whereas 5.0 mg/mL inhibited root development. Lantana camara extracts potentially stimulate germination and radicle growth of S. viridis at low concentrations while inhibiting these parameters at higher doses. These results may open new possibilities for using L. camara in weed-control strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seed Germination Ecophysiology of Invasive Species)
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Review

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17 pages, 2258 KiB  
Review
Significance of Soil Seed Bank in Forest Vegetation—A Review
by Anju M. V., Rekha R. Warrier and C. Kunhikannan
Seeds 2022, 1(3), 181-197; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds1030016 - 18 Aug 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7155
Abstract
Seed banks present in soils provide information on past/existing standing vegetation and the probable future vegetation of the area. We reviewed 187 articles related to seed banks that were published worldwide from 1859 to 2022 to understand the dynamics of soil seed banks. [...] Read more.
Seed banks present in soils provide information on past/existing standing vegetation and the probable future vegetation of the area. We reviewed 187 articles related to seed banks that were published worldwide from 1859 to 2022 to understand the dynamics of soil seed banks. The heterogeneity and biodiversity of most ecosystems appear vulnerable due to the over-exploitation of soil over the years. The studies on seeds present in soil provide knowledge on species cover, which supports the restoration of degraded areas. An interesting feature observed in most references was that species identified in seed banks do not necessarily represent or reflect the standing vegetation—this is attributed to the varied dispersal mechanisms of different species. The most significant contributions of a seed bank are conservation and the provision of propagules to the ecosystem. These banks are critical for identifying the composition and spatial organisation of understorey plant communities in degraded forests following soil disturbances, such as wildfire, harvesting, and/or logging. Regeneration from soil seed banks enables biodiversity recovery in tropical forests. There has been little understanding of the function soil seed banks play in forest restoration, which is critical to the natural regeneration of forest reserves. The impact of invasive alien species and the associated soil seed banks on vegetation dynamics is poorly researched. With landscape restoration gaining significance in the present decade, it becomes exceedingly important to maintain existing vegetation. It is relevant to India, which has international commitments to restore 26 mha of degraded and deforested land by 2030. This review reveals the importance of soil seed banks and their role in the future maintenance of forest cover. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seed Germination Ecophysiology of Invasive Species)
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