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Effects of Pinus pinea litter on seed germination and seedling performance of three Mediterranean shrub species

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Abstract

Pinus pinea L. is a coniferous tree inhabiting the Mediterranean Basin, which appears widely distributed in the Iberian Peninsula, frequently associated to Mediterranean shrub species, such as Cistus salvifolius L., C. libanotis L. and Halimium halimifolium (L.) Willk. (Cistaceae). This study investigated the effects (chemical and physical) of P. pinea needles on the seed germination and early growth of these three shrub species. Laboratory experiments were carried out in order to assess an expected negative effect by using different treatments to seeds (physical layer and two aqueous extracts concentrations). Seed germination of all species was inhibited when treated with aqueous extracts and the degree of inhibition was higher when using the extract with the highest concentration, while no effect was observed with the physical layer treatment. Seedling performance was also sensitive to the different treatments, showing the most stressed values with the high concentration extract. The results from this study highlight the importance of allelopathy of P. pinea needles as a mechanism for controlling seed germination and seedling performance of some Mediterranean shrub species.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Seville University General Glasshouse for their collaboration. We also thank Dr. Juan Jáuregui Arana for his helpful comments in order to improve the English of the manuscript. This research was supported by a fellowship from the University of Seville. The managing editor of this journal, Dr. Manoj Kulkarni, and two anonymous referees offered suggestions that have greatly improved the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, 41080, Sevilla, Spain

    Javier Valera-Burgos, Mari Cruz Díaz-Barradas & María Zunzunegui

  2. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012, Sevilla, Spain

    Javier Valera-Burgos

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  1. Javier Valera-Burgos
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  2. Mari Cruz Díaz-Barradas
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  3. María Zunzunegui
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Correspondence to Javier Valera-Burgos.

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Valera-Burgos, J., Díaz-Barradas, M.C. & Zunzunegui, M. Effects of Pinus pinea litter on seed germination and seedling performance of three Mediterranean shrub species. Plant Growth Regul 66, 285–292 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-011-9652-4

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