New Zealand Journal of Botany abstract
Germination and seedling growth of an endangered native broom,
Chordospartium muritai A.W.Purdie (Fabaceae), found in Marlborough,
South Island, New Zealand
PETER A. WILLIAMS
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
Private Bag 6
Nelson, New Zealand
DAVID A. NORTON
JANE M. NICHOLAS
Conservation Research Group
School of Forestry
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand
Abstract In the wild, adult Chordospartium muritai
shrubs and trees up to 6 m tall are confined to a single population in
the northern South Island. There are few juveniles and seedlings have only
recently been recorded. Seed viability, germination requirements, fate of seeds
in the soil seed bank, and seedling growth were investigated. Seeds required
scarification, after which a high proportion germinated over a wide range of
temperatures, but particularly between 20deg.C and 24deg.C. The few seeds that
survived a year's burial were still viable, suggesting the effects of soil
scarification. Seedling growth was very slow and 65% of seedlings that survived
the first 2 years reached a height of only 12 cm. Site factors including
past grazing, competition from herbs, and lack of suitable substrates, are
considered largely responsible for the failure of C. muritai
regeneration. The management implications of the results are discussed.
Keywords Chordospartium muritai; threatened plants;
germination; seed banks; seedling growth; conservation
B95021
Received 5 May 1995; accepted 7 December 1995
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (293K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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