Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
Prairie ecosystems are some of the most fragmented habitats across the Midwestern USA and are susceptible to the effects of climate change. False springs occur when temperatures rise unseasonably early, followed by low temperatures returning. A late freeze is when temperatures drop drastically in early spring, potentially damaging the plants that begin to grow. This research experimentally tests how winter climate change affects the germination rates of 24 different prairie plant species (12 in Poaceae, 4 Asteraceae, 4 in Fabaceae, and 4 in Lamiaceae), where half bloom in the spring and half bloom in the summer. Seeds are cold stratified based on species specific requirements for either 24 hours, 15 days, 30 days, 45 days, and 60 days. Ten seeds are placed into their own petri dishes and exposed to an experimental temperature treatment (controls, false spring, late freeze, or both false spring and late freeze; n = 10). After, dishes are placed under grow lights with a small amount of water, and the number of germinated seeds recorded in order to calculate the germination percentages. Preliminary trials have shown species specific responses, with some species being more impacted than others by these different types of winter weather events. In general, there was the greatest reduction in germination rates when the seeds are exposed to a false spring treatment followed by an extreme freeze event. As climate change becomes more unpredictable, it is important we evaluate all potential outcomes to assess how future climate events may alter existing ecosystems.
Keywords: False Spring, Cold Stratification, Germination Rates, Climate Change, Prairie, Plants, Late Freeze, Winter, Stress Tolerance, Grassland
The Effects of False Springs and Late Freezing Events on Germination Success of Prairie Plants
Prairie ecosystems are some of the most fragmented habitats across the Midwestern USA and are susceptible to the effects of climate change. False springs occur when temperatures rise unseasonably early, followed by low temperatures returning. A late freeze is when temperatures drop drastically in early spring, potentially damaging the plants that begin to grow. This research experimentally tests how winter climate change affects the germination rates of 24 different prairie plant species (12 in Poaceae, 4 Asteraceae, 4 in Fabaceae, and 4 in Lamiaceae), where half bloom in the spring and half bloom in the summer. Seeds are cold stratified based on species specific requirements for either 24 hours, 15 days, 30 days, 45 days, and 60 days. Ten seeds are placed into their own petri dishes and exposed to an experimental temperature treatment (controls, false spring, late freeze, or both false spring and late freeze; n = 10). After, dishes are placed under grow lights with a small amount of water, and the number of germinated seeds recorded in order to calculate the germination percentages. Preliminary trials have shown species specific responses, with some species being more impacted than others by these different types of winter weather events. In general, there was the greatest reduction in germination rates when the seeds are exposed to a false spring treatment followed by an extreme freeze event. As climate change becomes more unpredictable, it is important we evaluate all potential outcomes to assess how future climate events may alter existing ecosystems.
Keywords: False Spring, Cold Stratification, Germination Rates, Climate Change, Prairie, Plants, Late Freeze, Winter, Stress Tolerance, Grassland
Comments
Laura M. Ladwig
Ladwigl@uwosh.edu
Affiliation: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh