title: Seed germination of seven desert plants and implications for vegetation restoration.
abstract: Germination cues reflect the conditions under which a species is likely to succeed in recruitment. Therefore, knowledge of the seed germination characteristics of key plant species in desertified areas is essential for restoration. The aims of this study were to evaluate the seed germination responses of seven native species, and to explore the implications for vegetation restoration. Seeds of seven desert species were sown in Petri dishes and subjected to various temperature and light conditions. The seeds germinated well at day/night temperatures of 25/15 °C and 30/20 °C but poorly at 35/25 °C. Seeds germinated best in the dark, and final germination percentages of all species were strongly inhibited at a photon irradiance of 1000 µmol m(-2) s(-1) Based on these results and the environmental conditions of their natural habitat, Agropyron cristatum and Artemisia halodendron are best adapted to shifting sand dunes: Elymus dahuricus, Caragana korshinskii and C. microphylla for semi-fixed sand dunes: and Medicago sativa and Melilotus suaveolen for fixed sand dunes. If seeds are sown in early May, they will likely be buried in sand, and the precipitation and temperature conditions will be suitable for seedling survival.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China.
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China.
authors.forename: Lianhe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China.
authors.forename: Jihua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China zhengyr@ibcas.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Yuanrun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
keywords: Germination; Horqin sandy land; Psammophyte; light; restoration; temperature