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Classification and ecological relationships of seed dormancy in a seasonal moist tropical forest, Panama, Central America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2007

Adriana Sautu ,
Jerry M. Baskin ,
Carol C. Baskin ,
Jose Deago  and
Richard Condit
Adriana Sautu
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225 USA Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, 34002-0948, Panama
Jerry M. Baskin*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225 USA
Carol C. Baskin
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225 USA Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0312 USA
Jose Deago
Affiliation:
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, 34002-0948, Panama
Richard Condit
Affiliation:
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, 34002-0948, Panama
*
*Correspondence Fax: +1 859 257 1717 Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This is the first study to determine the class of seed dormancy (or non-dormancy) of a large number of native tree species in a tropical forest, the seasonal moist tropical forest of the Panama Canal Watershed (PCW), or to test the relationships between class of dormancy (or non-dormancy) and various seed and ecological characteristics of the constituent species. Fresh seeds of 49 of 94 tree species were non-dormant (ND), and 45 were dormant (D). Seeds of 23 species had physiological dormancy (PD), 13 physical dormancy (PY), two morphological dormancy (MD), 7 morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) and none combinational dormancy (PY+PD). Seeds with PY were significantly smaller ( < 0.1 g) and drier (moisture content < 16%) at maturity than those that were ND or in the other D classes. Seeds of 62, 42 and 53% of species dispersed in the early rainy, late rainy (LRS) and dry seasons, respectively, were ND. The majority (61%) of species with PD seeds, but only 17% of those with PY seeds, were dispersed in the LRS. The proportion of species with ND seeds was higher in large-size (63%) than in mid-size (35%) and understorey (17%) trees, but differed only slightly between non-pioneers (58%) and pioneers (54%). The proportion of species with D seeds increased only slightly through a precipitation gradient of about 3100 to 1900 mm in the PCW; however, PY increased from 19 to 32% and PD decreased from 63 to 44%.

Keywords

Panama Canal Watershedprecipitation gradientseasonal moist tropical forestseed dormancy classesseed ecology
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , June 2007 , pp. 127 - 140
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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