Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T16:10:16.379Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Teaching Seed Bank Ecology in an Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Emilie E. Regnier
Emilie E. Regnier*
Affiliation:
Dep. Agron., Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH 43210
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The study of weed life cycles, reproductive strategies, and the soil seed bank is emphasized in the undergraduate weed science course at Ohio State University as central to an understanding of the survival of weeds in the environment. A laboratory exercise was conducted every spring and fall academic quarter from 1991 to 1993 to demonstrate the effects of long-term cropping and soil disturbance histories on weed seed banks and aboveground weed communities. Five sites with diverse histories of culture were sampled; these included a field cultivated in vegetables under continuous conventional tillage for 59 yr, a field cultivated in field corn under continuous no-tillage for 11 yr, a 24 yr-old turfgrass research farm, a 70 yr-old forest, and a section of the forest border. Students conducted a survey of the weeds growing at the sites and separated and identified seeds from soil samples over a 3-wk period in weekly 2-h laboratory periods. Students wrote reports interpreting the data based on their knowledge of the site histories, weed life cycles, and weed seed production and longevity characteristics. The data were consistent over academic quarters as well as with published research, indicating that the survey and soil sampling techniques provided a reasonably accurate representation of the weed flora and soil seed populations. Weeds found growing at the sites were primarily summer annuals at the vegetable site, and a mix of summer and winter annuals, biennials, and perennials at the remaining sites. Annual weeds dominated the seed banks of all sites with common lambsquarters, pigweed spp., and common purslane being the most commonly found seeds. The presence of most seeds in the soil could be explained by a combination of species seed production and seed longevity characteristics and species abundance in the standing community. Interpretation of the data required students to integrate and apply lecture material and provided an excellent thinking exercise.

Keywords

Common lambsquartersChenopodium album L. # CHEALcommon purslane, Portulaca oleracea L. # POROLpigweed, Amaranthus spp.corn, Zea mays L.Tillage systemsweed biologyweed ecology
Type
Feature/Education-Extension
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , March 1995 , pp. 5 - 16
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Bassett, I. J. and Munro, D. B. 1986. The biology of Canadian weeds. 78. Solanum carolinense L. and Solanum rostratum Dunal. Can. J. Plant Sci. 66:977–991.Google Scholar
2. Best, K. F. and McIntyre, G. I. 1975. The biology of Canadian weeds. 9. Thlaspi arvense L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 55:279–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Burnside, O. C., Fenster, C. R., Evetts, L. L., and Mumm, R. F. 1981. Germination of exhumed weed seed in Nebraska. Weed Sci. 29:577–586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Cardina, J., Regnier, E., and Harrison, K. 1991. Long-term tillage effects on seed banks in three Ohio soils. Weed Sci. 39:186–194.Google Scholar
5. Cavers, P. B. and Benoit, D. L. 1989. Seed banks in arable land. p. 309–328 in Leck, M. A., Parker, V. T., and Simpson, R. L., eds. Ecology of Soil Seed Banks. Academic Press, New York. 462 p.Google Scholar
6. Cavers, P. and Harper, J. 1964. Biological flora of the British Isles: Rumex obtusifolius and Rumex crispus . J. Ecol. 52:737–766.Google Scholar
7. Cavers, P. B., Heagy, M. I., and Kokron, R. F. 1979. The biology of Canadian weeds. 35. Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara and Grande. Can. J. Plant. Sci. 59:217–229.Google Scholar
8. Darlington, H. and Steinbauer, G. 1961. The 80 year period of Dr. Beal's seed viability experiment. Am. J. Bot. 38:379–381.Google Scholar
9. Delorit, R. J. 1970. An Illustrated Taxonomy Manual of Weed Seeds. Agronomy Publications, River Falls, WI. 175 p.Google Scholar
10. Dickerson, C. T. Jr. and Sweet, R. D. 1971. Common ragweed ecotypes. Weed Sci. 19:64–66.Google Scholar
11. Doersch, R. 1987. Fall panicum—a native American. Crops Soils Mag. 39(7): 10–11.Google Scholar
12. Doohan, D. J. and Monaco, T. J. 1992. The biology of Canadian weeds. 99. Viola arvensis Murr. Can. J. Plant Sci. 72:187–201.Google Scholar
13. Forcella, F., Wilson, R. G., Renner, K. A., Dekker, J., Harvey, R. G., Alm, D. A., Buhler, D. D., and Cardina, J. 1992. Weed seedbanks of the U.S. Corn Belt: magnitude, variation, emergence, and application. Weed Sci. 40:636–644.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Harrington, J. F. 1972. Seed storage and longevity. p. 145–245 in Kozlowski, T. T., ed. Seed Biology, Vol. 3. Academic Press, New York. 422 p.Google Scholar
15. Holm, L. G., Plucknett, D. L., Pancho, J. V., and Herberger, J. P. 1977. The World's Worst Weeds—Distribution and Biology. The University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu. 609 p.Google Scholar
16. Jensen, H. A. 1969. Content of buried seed in arable soil in Denmark and its relation to the weed population. Dan. Bot. Ark. 27:1–55.Google Scholar
17. Madsen, S. B. 1962. Germination of buried and dry stored seeds. III. 1934–1960. Proc. Int. Seed Test. Assn. 27:920–928.Google Scholar
18. Malone, C. R. 1967. A rapid method for enumeration of viable seed in soil. Weed Sci. 15:381–382.Google Scholar
19. Martin, A. C. and Barkley, W. D. 1961. Seed Identification Manual. Univ. of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles and London. 221 p.Google Scholar
20. Martin, J. W. and Leonard, W. H. 1967. p. 988 in Principles of Field Crop Production, 2nd Ed. MacMillan Co., New York. 1044 p.Google Scholar
21. McWhorter, C. G. 1989. History, biology, and control of Johnsongrass. Rev. Weed Sci. 4:85–121.Google Scholar
22. Menges, R. M. 1987. Weed seed population dynamics during six years of weed management systems in crop rotations on irrigated soil. Weed Sci. 35:328–332.Google Scholar
23. Miyanishi, K. and Cavers, P. B. 1980. The biology of Canadian weeds. 40. Portulaca oleracea L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 60:953–963.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24. Montgomery, F. H. 1977. Seeds and Fruits of Plants of Eastern Canada and Northeastern United States. Univ. of Toronto Press, Toronto and Buffalo. 232 p.Google Scholar
25. Moore, R. J. 1975. The biology of Canadian weeds. 13. Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Can. J. Plant Sci. 55:1033–1048.Google Scholar
26. Muenscher, W. C. 1955. p. 4 in Weeds. MacMillan Co, New York. 340 p.Google Scholar
27. Pickett, S. T. A. and McDonnell, M. J. 1989. Seed bank dynamics in temperate deciduous forest. p. 123–147 in Leck, M. A., Parker, V. T., and Simpson, R. L., eds. Ecology of Soil Seed Banks. Academic Press, New York, 462 p.Google Scholar
28. Rice, K. J. 1989. Impacts of seed banks on grassland community structure and population dynamics. p. 211–230 in Leck, M. A., Parker, V. T., and Simpson, R. L., eds. Ecology of Soil Seed Banks. Academic Press, New York. 462 p.Google Scholar
29. Roberts, H. A. 1981. Seed banks in soil. Adv. Appl. Biol. 6:1–55.Google Scholar
30. Roberts, H. F. 1936. Seed production in the dandelion. Sci. Agric. 17:235–242.Google Scholar
31. Santelmann, P. W., Meade, J. A., and Peters, R. A. 1963. Growth and development of yellow foxtail and giant foxtail. Weeds 11:139–142.Google Scholar
32. Schreiber, M. M. 1965. Effect of date of planting and stage of cutting on seed production of giant foxtail. Weeds 13:60–62.Google Scholar
33. Stevens, O. A. 1932. The number and weight of seeds produced by weeds. Am. J. Bot. 19:784–794.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34. Stevens, O. A. 1957. Weights of seeds and numbers per plant. Weeds 5:46–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35. Stoller, E. W. and Myers, R. A. 1989. Effects of shading and soybean (Glycine max L.) interference on Solanum ptycanthum (Dun.) (eastern black nightshade) growth and development. Weed Res. 29:307–316.Google Scholar
36. Stratton, D. A. 1991. Life history variation within populations of an asexual plant, Erigeron annuus (Asteraceae). Am. J. Bot. 78:723–728.Google Scholar
37. Thullen, R. J. and Keeley, P. E. 1979. Seed production and germination in Cyperus esculentus and Cyperus rotundus . Weed Sci. 27:502–505.Google Scholar
38. Timmons, F. 1949. Duration of viability of bindweed seed under field conditions and experimental results in the control of bindweed seedlings. Agron. J. 41:130–133.Google Scholar
39. Toole, E. H. and Brown, E. 1946. Final results of the Duvel buried seed experiment. J. Agric. Res. 72:201–210.Google Scholar
40. Vanden Born, W. H. 1971. Green foxtail: seed dormancy, germination and growth. Can. J. Plant Sci. 51:53–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
41. Warwick, S. I. 1979. The biology of Canadian weeds. 37. Poa annua L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 59:1053–1066.Google Scholar
42. Weaver, S. E. and Riley, W. R. 1982. The biology of Canadian weeds. 53. Convolvulus arvensis L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 62:461–472.Google Scholar
43. Werner, P. A., Bradbury, I. K., and Gross, R. S. 1980. The biology of Canadian weeds. 45. Solidago canadensis L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 60:1393–1409.Google Scholar
44. Werner, P. A. and Rioux, R. 1977. The biology of Canadian weeds. 24. Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. Can. J. Plant Sci. 57:905–919.Google Scholar
45. Wilson, R. G. 1988. Biology of weed seeds in the soil. p. 25–39 in Altieri, M. A. and Liebman, M., eds. Weed Management in Agroecosystems: Ecological Approaches. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 354 p.Google Scholar