Authors
Matthew I Daws, Nancy C Garwood, HW Pritchard
Publication date
2006/4/1
Journal
Annals of Botany
Volume
97
Issue
4
Pages
667-674
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Description
• Background and Aims Seed desiccation sensitivity limits the ex situ conservation of up to 47 % of plant species, dependent on habitat. Whilst desirable, empirically determining desiccation tolerance levels in seeds of all species is unrealistic. A probabilistic model for the rapid identification of woody species at high risk of displaying seed desiccation sensitivity is presented.
• Methods The model was developed using binary logistic regression on seed trait data [seed mass, moisture content, seed coat ratio (SCR) and rainfall in the month of seed dispersal] for 104 species from 37 families from a semi-deciduous tropical forest in Panamá.
• Key Results For the Panamanian species, only seed mass and SCR were significantly related to the response to desiccation, with the desiccation-sensitive seeds being large and having a relatively low SCR (i.e. thin ‘seed’ coats). Application of this model to a further …
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Scholar articles
MI Daws, NC Garwood, HW Pritchard - Annals of Botany, 2006