TY - JOUR

T1 - Large and non-spherical seeds are less likely to form a persistent soil seed bank

AU - Wang, Xuejing

AU - Ge, Wenjing

AU - Zhang, Mingting

AU - Fernández-Pascual, Eduardo

AU - Moles, Angela

AU - Saatkamp, Arne

AU - Rosbakh, Sergey

AU - Bu, Haiyan

AU - Panahi, Parisa

AU - Ma, Miaojun

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - There is some evidence that seed traits can affect the long-term persistence of seeds in the soil. However, findings on this topic have differed between systems. Here, we brought together a worldwide database of seed persistence data for 1474 species to test the generality of seed mass-shape-persistence relationships. We found a significant trend for low seed persistence to be associated with larger and less spherical seeds. However, the relationship varied across different clades, growth forms and species ecological preferences. Specifically, relationships of seed mass-shape-persistence were more pronounced in Poales than in other order clades. Herbaceous species that tend to be found in sites with low soil sand content and precipitation have stronger relationships between seed shape and persistence than in sites with higher soil sand content and precipitation. For the woody plants, the relationship between persistence and seed morphology was stronger in sites with high soil sand content and low precipitation than in sites with low soil sand content and higher precipitation. Improving the ability to predict the soil seed bank formation process, including burial and persistence, could benefit the utilization of seed morphology-persistence relationships in management strategies for vegetation restoration and controlling species invasion across diverse vegetation types and environments.

AB - There is some evidence that seed traits can affect the long-term persistence of seeds in the soil. However, findings on this topic have differed between systems. Here, we brought together a worldwide database of seed persistence data for 1474 species to test the generality of seed mass-shape-persistence relationships. We found a significant trend for low seed persistence to be associated with larger and less spherical seeds. However, the relationship varied across different clades, growth forms and species ecological preferences. Specifically, relationships of seed mass-shape-persistence were more pronounced in Poales than in other order clades. Herbaceous species that tend to be found in sites with low soil sand content and precipitation have stronger relationships between seed shape and persistence than in sites with higher soil sand content and precipitation. For the woody plants, the relationship between persistence and seed morphology was stronger in sites with high soil sand content and low precipitation than in sites with low soil sand content and higher precipitation. Improving the ability to predict the soil seed bank formation process, including burial and persistence, could benefit the utilization of seed morphology-persistence relationships in management strategies for vegetation restoration and controlling species invasion across diverse vegetation types and environments.

KW - burial mechanism

KW - growth type

KW - seed bank

KW - seed mass

KW - seed persistence

KW - seed shape

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2023.2764

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2023.2764

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38864324

AN - SCOPUS:85195888070

VL - 291

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

SN - 0962-8452

IS - 2024

M1 - 20232764

ER -