Population ecology of halophyte seeds

TLDR: The persistent seed bank of annual halophytes appears adaptive, and provides multiple seed germination opportunities which may prevent local extinction when environmental stress increases, including fluctuations in salinity levels and tidal activity.

Abstract: Some aspects of the population biology of halophytes are considered in this review. Persistent seed banks have been reported for a number of inland- and coastal-salt marsh plant communities. Seeds of perennial grasses are often under-represented, while annuals and some perennial forbs may be over-represented in the seed bank. The persistent seed bank of annual halophytes appears adaptive, and provides multiple seed germination opportunities which may prevent local extinction when environmental stress increases. Somatic seed polymorphism provides a mechanism by which parent plants can respond to changing environments by partitioning their resources into reproductive units which have distinct germination responses. Parental effects may influence either seed morphology and/or physiological requirements of seeds when they are exposed to environmental stress. A prolonged germination period can provide plant populations with numerous opportunities to establish seedling cohorts. Early cohorts will have a selective advantage under moderate conditions because mortality will be low and plants will survive until maturity. However, fluctuations in salinity levels and tidal activity can cause high mortality in early cohorts in salt marsh habitats, providing later cohorts with an opportunity for establishment. Resource allocation to reproductive structures is related to plant size, which itself can be affected by both abiotic and biotic factors. Larger plants were found to produce more seeds than smaller plants in a population, but the mean seed weight was greater in small plants.