Seedling Recruitment in the Long-Lived Perennial, Echinacea angustifolia: A 10-Year Experiment

摘要: Establishment of persistent plant populations may be restricted by limitations on the numbers seeds, emergence seedlings, or survival to reproductive maturity. The relative importance these phases in establishment new populations, particularly restorations, is poorly understood. In an experiment quantify seedling and juvenile Echinacea angustifolia during its reintroduction previously agricultural sites, we evaluated effects two types vegetation prescribed burning at four times sowing. We collected achenes from prairie remnants western Minnesota, United States, and, each October 2000–2002, overseeded them into nearby study plots either recently planted stands native grasses oldfields abandoned 40 years earlier. For cohort, determined germinability laboratory field, monitored following spring subsequent annual censuses through summer 2009. Germinability ranged 20 37%, varying significantly among collection years. Seedlings emerged every treatment combination, but rarely exceeded 8% sown. Burns prior sowing tended enhance emergence, differing degrees depending year vegetation. Burning after reduced emergence. enhanced restored not oldfields. Strategies reintroduce this species should include before sowing, large quantities seed, avoiding least once within first 6