Artificial excision of the distal part of acorns in order to promote germination is well researched in oak seedling cultivation studies. However, studies of combined effects of cotyledon excision and nursery fertilization on container seedlings are lacking, especially for seedling root growth and outplanting performance. This study aimed to explore the main effects of cotyledon excision on Quer...

It is generally accepted that larger seeds give rise to seedlings with better performance. On the other hand, the size that a seed reaches is genetically determined by at least two different traits ; the genetic variability of the developing embryo and the genetic variability of the maternal plant. Thus, the relative contributions of these two traits affect seedling performance by influencing s...

Loblolly pine seedlings were grown in 1 x 5 inch biodegradable plastic tubes for 10, 12, and 14 weeks at densities of 42, 84, 126, and 168 per square foot. Seedling density and age significantly affected seedling development at time of outplant ing, and densi ty became more important as greenhouse growing t imes increased. Al l morphological characteristics measured when seedlings were planted-...

Understanding the mechanisms generating species distributions remains a challenge, especially in hyperdiverse tropical forests. We evaluated the role of rainfall variation, soil gradients and herbivory on seedling mortality, and how variation in seedling performance along these gradients contributes to habitat specialisation. In a 4-year experiment, replicated at the two extremes of the Amazon ...

Low seedling quality is a pervasive problem for smallholder forestry in the Philippines. Intervention measures to improve seedling quality are being examined in a research project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Field trials have been established as part of this ‘seedling enhancement project’ to compare performance on outplanting of Gmelina arborea when ...

INTRODUCTION In the southern United States, chemicals are an integral part of the management of bare-root nurseries. The rationale for using chemicals is based on economics as they can reduce hand labor, improve the use of valuable seed, and increase seedling performance. The cost of all chemicals associated with loblolly pine seedling production averages less than 0.2 cent per seedling. The co...

Seedling emergence and subsequent survival and growth are vital for natural forest restoration or plantation establishment by means of seeds. Such information is lacking for the African bamboo species. Two experiments were carried out in a greenhouse to evaluate the influence of seed orientation and sowing depth of the lowland bamboo Oxytenanthera abyssinica on seedling emergence, survival and ...

We illustrate experimentally the importance of species-specificity in the soil-mediated interactions among plants inhabiting heterogeneous landscapes. Topsoils from nine microhabitats were used to experimentally grow Quercus ilex acorns in the laboratory. We recorded germination, emergence, acorn left and seedling performance (HGR, biomass and root allocation). Different topsoils had very contr...

Seed and seedling predation may differentially affect competitively superior tree species to increase the relative recruitment success of poor competitors and contribute to the coexistence of tree species. We examined the effect of seed and seedling predation on the seedling recruitment of three tree species, Acer rubrum (red maple), Liriodendron tulipifera (yellow poplar), and Quercus rubra (n...