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Volume 8 Journal of Ecosystem & Ecography
ISSN: 2157-7625 Ecology 2018
March 19-20, 2018
March 19-20, 2018 | Berlin, Germany
World Conference on Ecology
Germination of seeds from thornscrub species with respect to light and phylogeny
Joel Flores1 , Jacinto Iracheta2 , Jonathan Marroquín2, Horacio Villalon2 and Marisela Pando2
1Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Mexico
2Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Científica y Tecnologica, Mexico
Germination is crucial in the life of plants; they go from a quiescent stage to growing in a sometimes rapidly changing
environment. In arid and semiarid lands, moisture availability is a limiting factor that affects germination. Seeds in northern
Mexico semiarid zones tend to germinate quickly after rainfall or to do it under the canopy of other species arguably for protection
from immediate explore influence or light quality and neighboring seeds on germination.The expectations are that
red light will mimic the light filtered by a tree canopy under natural conditions and that to avoid competition; seeds will germinate
more next to phylogenetically distant species than with their own species or close relatives. This study was developed using shrub
species from northeastern Mexico: Vachellia farnesiana, Cordia boissieri, Ehretia anacua, Havardia pallens, Celtis pallida and
Caesalpinia mexicana. In a separate experiment, we placed seeds from Acacia berlandieri, (Acacia) Vachellia farnesiana, Acacia
rigidula, Acacia Schaffneri, Acacia wrightii, Caesalpinia mexicana, Ebenopsis ebano, Havardia pallens and Prosopis laevigata to
germinate on their own, or with each of the rest of the species. Seeds were inside petri dishes in germinating chambers with
12/12 light, in a random design, with ten seeds in each replicate per species. We used direct light, 80% shade, darkness and red
plastic as light treatments. Germination was recorded daily. Ehretia anacua and Havardia pallens germinated in the three light
conditions. Caesalpinia mexicana germinated more in shade and darkness. Celtis pallida germinated more under light and shade.
For Vachellia farnesiana the number of germinated seeds was higher in direct light and in darkness. Cordia boissieri did not
germinate in any treatment. Germination was not affected by red light. Seeds of most species germinated equally placed on their
own or with other species thus germination was not influenced by phylogeny.
Recent Publications
1. Aragon Gastelum J L, Flores J, Yanez Espinosa L, Reyes Olivas A, Rodas
Ortiz J P, Robles Diaz E and Gonzalez F J (2017) Advantages of vivipary
in Echinocactus platyacanthus, an endemic and protected Mexican cactus
species. Journal of Arid Environments 141:56-59.
2. Aragon Gastelum J L, Badano E, Yanez Espinosa L, Ramirez Tobias H M,
Rodas Ortiz J P, Gonzalez Salvatierra C and Flores J (2017) Seedling survival
of three endemic and threatened Mexican cacti under induced climate
change. Plant Species Biology 32:92-99.
3. Arroyo Perez E, Flores J, Gonzalez Salvatierra C, Matías Palafox M L and
Jimenez Sierra C L (2017) High tolerance to high-light conditions for the
protected species Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus (Cactaceae). Conservation
Physiology 5(1):cox042.
4. Bauk K, Flores J, Ferrero C, Perez Sanchez R, Las Penas M L and Gurvich D E
(2017) Germination characteristics of Gymnocalyciummonvillei (Cactaceae)
along its entire altitudinal range. Botany 95:419-428.
5. Cuellar Rodriguez G, Jurado E and Flores J (2017) Seeds and seedlings from
isolated mesquite trees. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 144:58-62.
Biography
Joel Flores is a Mexican National Research Scientist with recognition of level 3. He has a PhD since 2001 and has published over 80 papers on Ecology and
Ecophysiology of plants. His research has been cited over 800 times. He has supervised many undergraduate and graduate students at the IPICYT (the research
institution where he works) and also as an Invited Professor elsewhere.
Joel Flores et al., J Ecosyst Ecography 2018, Volume 8
DOI: 10.4172/2157-7625-C1-033
Figure 1: a) Tamaulipan thornscrub. b) Five of the six
species germinated equally under the three treatments.
c) Seeds of two species placed in petri dishes for
germination trial. d) Vachellia farnesiana (ACFA)
showed the highest germination when competing
against others, kinship did not influence germination
between competing species.