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The impact of temperature regimes on development, dormancy breaking and germination of dwarf shrub seeds from arctic, alpine and boreal sites

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Abstract

It has been suggested that the infrequent sexual reproduction of arctic dwarf shrubs might be related to the harsh environmental conditions in which they live. If this is the case, then increases in temperature resulting from global climate change might drastically affect regeneration of arctic species. We examined whether recruitment of Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum and Vaccinium uliginosum (hereafter E. nigrum and V. uliginosum) was affected by temperature during three reproductive stages: seed development, dormancy breakage and germination. Seeds were collected from an arctic, an alpine (only E. nigrum) and a boreal site with different climates; stored at different winter temperatures and incubated for germination at different temperatures. Seeds of V. uliginosum developed in the boreal region had a higher percentage germination than did seeds developed in the Arctic. In contrast, seeds of E. nigrum from the arctic site had a higher or similar percentage germination than did seeds from the alpine and boreal sites. Increased winter temperatures had no significant effect on resulting germination percentage of E. nigrum. However, V. uliginosum seeds from the arctic site suffered increased fungal attack (and thus decreased germination) when they were stratified under high winter temperatures. Seeds of both species increased germination with increased incubation temperatures. Our results suggest that both species would increase their germination in response to warmer summers. Longer summers might also favour the slow-germinating E. nigrum. However, increased winter temperatures might increase mortality due to fungal attack in V. uliginosum ecotypes that are not adapted to mild winters.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Carol Baskin, University of Kentucky, USA, for the many useful discussions about this project and for examining the ungerminated seeds to determine the number with a firm, white embryo. Leidulf Lund, Jarle Nielsen and Kristine Westergaard at the fytotronen, the University of Tromsø, are thanked for their great help during the present experiment. Angela Moles, Ann Milbau and the anonymous reviewers provided many useful comments to the paper.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Bente Jessen Graae

    Present address: Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Box 62, 98107, Abisko, Sweden

  2. Rasmus Ejrnaes

    Present address: Department of Wildlife Ecology and Biodiversity, National Environmental Research Institute, Grenåvej 12, 8410, Rønde, Denmark

  3. Inger Greve Alsos

    Present address: UNIS – The University Centre in Svalbard, P.O. Box 156, 9171, Longyearbyen, Norway

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arctic Station, University of Copenhagen, 3953, Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland

    Bente Jessen Graae & Rasmus Ejrnaes

  2. Tromsø University Museum, 9037, Tromsø, Norway

    Inger Greve Alsos

Authors
  1. Bente Jessen Graae
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bente Jessen Graae.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Germination of seeds in different incubation temperatures and after natural and artificial stratification from the three sites

Species

Location

Warm stratification (weeks)

Cold stratification (weeks)

Germination temperature (day/night) (°C)

% Germination

% Germination of seeds with embryo

Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum

Boreal

12

20

10/6

0.7

2.5

Alpine

12

20

10/6

0.0

0.0

Arctic

12

20

10/6

0.7

2.1

Boreal

12

20

15/6

11.3

40.4

Alpine

12

20

15/6

1.3

3.8

Arctic

12

20

15/6

15.3

45.0

Boreal

12

20

20/10

8.7

31.1

Alpine

12

20

20/10

4.7

13.8

Arctic

12

20

20/10

20.0

58.8

Boreal

12

20

25/15

13.3

47.5

Alpine

12

20

25/15

6.7

19.7

Arctic

12

20

25/15

24.0

70.6

Boreal

–

Natural Boreal

20/10

2.7

9.6

Alpine

–

Natural Boreal

20/10

1.3

3.8

Arctic

–

Natural Boreal

20/10

28.0

82.4

Boreal

–

Natural Arctic

20/10

2.0

7.1

Alpine

–

Natural Arctic

20/10

2.0

5.9

Arctic

–

Natural Arctic

20/10

18.0

52.9

Species

Location

Warm stratification (weeks)

Cold stratification (weeks)

Germination temperature (day/night) (°C)

% Germination

% Germination of uninfected seeds

Vaccinium uliginosum

Boreal

–

12

10/6

44.0

44.5

Arctic

–

12

10/6

22.0

27.3

Boreal

–

12

15/6

87.0

88.4

Arctic

–

12

15/6

20.0

29.4

Boreal

–

12

20/10

93.0

94.0

Arctic

–

12

20/10

54.0

65.5

Boreal

–

12

25/15

95.3

95.3

Arctic

–

12

25/15

47.3

64.5

Boreal

–

Natural Boreal

20/10

84.0

84.3

Arctic

–

Natural Boreal

20/10

66.0

79.0

Boreal

–

Natural Arctic

20/10

88.6

89.2

Arctic

–

Natural Arctic

20/10

82.0

83.1

  1. All percentages are based on average of 3 × 50 seeds

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Graae, B.J., Alsos, I.G. & Ejrnaes, R. The impact of temperature regimes on development, dormancy breaking and germination of dwarf shrub seeds from arctic, alpine and boreal sites. Plant Ecol 198, 275–284 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-008-9403-4

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