Open Access

ARTICLE

Seed germination after freezing in high-mountain plant species: Implications for ski-run restoration

by Díaz-Miguel M, J Castro, PA García

1 Departamento de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
2 Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
3 Departamento de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.

* Corresponding Author:Address Correspondence to: Manuel Díaz-Miguel, Tel: +34 958241307, Fax: +34 958248995, e-mail:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2014, 83(all), 423-429. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2014.83.423

Abstract

The construction of a ski slope implies a strong environmental impact as a result of the removal of the vegetation cover. The need to protect the soil requires a rapid restoration of vegetation, which is often done with commercial seed mixtures that can cause a negative impact on these high mountain ecosystems. Thus, the use of seeds of native species is essential, especially in areas rich in endemic species. The compaction of snow as a result of the preparation of the ski slopes causes the soil to freeze. This hinders the germination of seeds, especially those of shrub species. This paper analyzes, under laboratory conditions, how freezing and phytohormone application affect the seed germination of three endemic shrubby species used in the restoration of the ski slopes on Sierra Nevada (S. Spain). Freezing considerably reduced the germination of all species. However, when seeds were previously subjected to phytohormones, the germination percentage increased up to 10-fold with respect to seeds not treated with growth regulators. The results suggest that treating seeds with phytohormones could improve the restoration of the ski slopes with native species.

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