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Seed banking in the columnar cactus Stenocereus stellatus: distribution, density and longevity of seeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2014

Ricardo Álvarez-Espino ,
Héctor Godínez-Álvarez  and
Rodolfo De la Torre-Almaráz
Ricardo Álvarez-Espino*
Affiliation:
UBIPRO, FES-Iztacala, UNAM. Av. de los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla54090, Edo. de México, México
Héctor Godínez-Álvarez
Affiliation:
UBIPRO, FES-Iztacala, UNAM. Av. de los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla54090, Edo. de México, México
Rodolfo De la Torre-Almaráz
Affiliation:
UBIPRO, FES-Iztacala, UNAM. Av. de los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla54090, Edo. de México, México
*
*Correspondence E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The soil seed bank is the reserve of viable seeds found in the soil. This reserve contributes to plant population persistence in unpredictable environments; thus, determining its presence is basic to understanding recruitment patterns and population dynamics. Studies of soil seed banks in the Cactaceae are scarce, although these plants are ecologically dominant in American arid and semi-arid environments. Most studies have inferred the presence of seed banks by analysing morphological seed traits or germination of seeds stored in the laboratory for different periods of time. Few studies have determined their presence through evaluation of distribution, density and longevity of seeds in the field. To fill this information gap, we determined the existence of, and studied, the soil seed bank of Stenocereus stellatus, a columnar cactus endemic to central Mexico. This study reports the evaluation of these characteristics in the field and discusses whether this species forms a soil seed bank. We found a higher number of seeds under shrubs than in areas lacking vegetation. Recently dispersed seeds did not germinate because they have primary dormancy. This dormancy was broken after 6 months of burial in the soil. Seeds buried for 10 months entered secondary dormancy and they were not viable at 24 months, probably because of pathogen attack. Considering dormancy and seed longevity, we suggest that S. stellatus has the potential to form a short-term persistent seed bank. However, this should be confirmed by conducting studies on other S. stellatus populations throughout their geographical distribution.

Keywords

burial experimentecological longevityFusarium oxysporumpersistent seed bankStenocereus stellatusTehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
Type
Research Papers
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , December 2014 , pp. 315 - 320
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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