Live long, spread fast: the role of seed persistence in plant invasions
| Name: | Live long, spread fast: the role of seed persistence in plant invasions |
|---|---|
| Researchers: |
Gioria Margherita (researcher) Pyšek Petr (member in research team) Skálová Hana (member in research team) Moravcová Lenka (member in research team) |
| Provider: | GA ČR |
| Number: | 204405S |
| Realization from: | 2019 |
| Realization to: | 2021 |
| Summary: | The negative environmental impacts associated with many plant invasions requires an improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying the ability of alien plants to become established and spread in their introduced distribution range. The production of long-lived seeds could contribute to the persistence of alien species in the recipient communities and their spread. This project aims at providing a robust assessment of the role of seed persistence as a mechanism driving the establishment (naturalization) and spread (invasiveness) of alien species by (1) analyzing seed persistence data for 150 native and alien species in the Czech Republic, (2) conducting new seed burial experiments to assess how seed persistence varies with a range of biotic and abiotic conditions, (3) build a global seed persistence database, and (4) combining this with seed dormancy, longevity, and seed bank data. These data will be used to test the role of seed persistence in discriminating between invasive vs. non-invasive species, naturalized vs. non-naturalized species, and native vs. alien species. |