Seed germination requirements and salt stress tolerance of coastal rare species in Sardinia
type: CreativeWork
description: To survive to adverse factors that characterize coastal environments, plant species often require special physiological or metabolic adaptations to overcome environmental stresses. Stress may be physical (e.g. temperature) or chemical (e.g. salinity). Many communities comprise highly specialized species, which have comparatively restricted geographical distributions. The coastal species investigated in this Ph.D. program were chosen accordingly to their habitat: Phleum sardoum (Hackel) Hackel and Rouya polygama (Desf.) Coincy for sandy dunes; Brassica insularis Moris and Lavatera triloba L. ssp. pallescens (Moris) Nyman for coastal cliffs; Lavatera triloba L. ssp. triloba and Halopeplis amplexicaulis (Vahl) Ces., Pass. & Gibelli for ultra-saline environments. Moreover, seed germination ecology of L. agrigentina Tineo, a species growing in clayey-chalky plains of South Italy, was also investigated for a comparative study within the Lavatera genus. For all the studied species, light and temperature requirements for seed germination were evaluated; their germination responses to salt stress (NaCl) and their germination recovery. Interpopulation variability on germination patterns was also evaluated for R. polygama, B. insularis and L. triloba ssp. triloba. Salt spray tolerance on the vegetative growth and biomass production during the early seedling developmental stages was evaluated for B. insularis, L. triloba ssp. pallescens, L. triloba ssp. triloba and H. amplexicaulis. Light did not affect germination percentages in any of the studied species enabling seed germination also under soil surface and highlighting that seeds were not photo-inhibited for germination. Seed germination of P. sardoum and R. polygama, as well as that of L. agrigentina, L. triloba ssp. pallescens and L. triloba ssp. triloba, reflected the optimal range of temperatures of “typical” Mediterranean species, suggesting germination in autumn-winter, when water availability, soil moisture and rainfa…
abstract: To survive to adverse factors that characterize coastal environments, plant species often require special physiological or metabolic adaptations to overcome environmental stresses. Stress may be physical (e.g. temperature) or chemical (e.g. salinity). Many communities comprise highly specialized species, which have comparatively restricted geographical distributions. The coastal species investigated in this Ph.D. program were chosen accordingly to their habitat: Phleum sardoum (Hackel) Hackel and Rouya polygama (Desf.) Coincy for sandy dunes; Brassica insularis Moris and Lavatera triloba L. ssp. pallescens (Moris) Nyman for coastal cliffs; Lavatera triloba L. ssp. triloba and Halopeplis amplexicaulis (Vahl) Ces., Pass. & Gibelli for ultra-saline environments. Moreover, seed germination ecology of L. agrigentina Tineo, a species growing in clayey-chalky plains of South Italy, was also investigated for a comparative study within the Lavatera genus. For all the studied species, light and temperature requirements for seed germination were evaluated; their germination responses to salt stress (NaCl) and their germination recovery. Interpopulation variability on germination patterns was also evaluated for R. polygama, B. insularis and L. triloba ssp. triloba. Salt spray tolerance on the vegetative growth and biomass production during the early seedling developmental stages was evaluated for B. insularis, L. triloba ssp. pallescens, L. triloba ssp. triloba and H. amplexicaulis. Light did not affect germination percentages in any of the studied species enabling seed germination also under soil surface and highlighting that seeds were not photo-inhibited for germination. Seed germination of P. sardoum and R. polygama, as well as that of L. agrigentina, L. triloba ssp. pallescens and L. triloba ssp. triloba, reflected the optimal range of temperatures of “typical” Mediterranean species, suggesting germination in autumn-winter, when water availability, soil moisture and rainfa…
author: SANTO, ANDREA
language: eng
keywords: Coastal environments, Mediterranean flora, NaCl, ambienti costieri, dry after-ripening, flora mediterranea, recovery, recupero, salt spray, spray salino, stratificazione secca, Settore BIO/03 - Botanica Ambientale e Applicata
date published: 2013-03-28
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:30:01Z
provider: Università di Cagliari
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Università degli Studi di Cagliari

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11584/266220