000119586 001__ 119586 000119586 005__ 20240614091132.0 000119586 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1093/aob/mcab135 000119586 0248_ $$2sideral$$a125451 000119586 037__ $$aART-2022-125451 000119586 041__ $$aeng 000119586 100__ $$aFernández-Pascual, E. 000119586 245__ $$aSeed ecology of European mesic meadows 000119586 260__ $$c2022 000119586 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000119586 5203_ $$aBackground and Aims: European mesic meadows are semi-natural open habitats of high biodiversity and an essential part of European landscapes. These species-rich communities can be a source of seed mixes for ecological restoration, urban greening and rewilding. However, limited knowledge of species germination traits is a bottleneck to the development of a competitive native seed industry. Here, we synthesize the seed ecology of mesic meadows. Methods: We combined our own experimental data with data obtained from databases to create a combined dataset containing 2005 germination records of 90 plant species from 31 European countries. We performed a Bayesian meta-analysis of this dataset to test the seed germination response to environmental cues including scarification, stratification, temperature, alternating temperature and light. We also used multivariate ordination to check the relationship between seed traits (germination and morphology) and species ecological preferences, and to compare the seed ecology of mesic meadows with that of other herbaceous plant communities from the same geographic area. Key Results: The seed ecology of mesic meadows is characterized by (1) high seed germinability when compared with other herbaceous plant communities; (2) low correspondence between seed traits and species ecological preferences; and (3) a deep phylogenetic separation between the two major families, Poaceae and Fabaceae. Poaceae produce many light seeds that respond to gap-detecting germination cues (alternating temperatures and light); Fabaceae produce fewer heavy seeds, which need scarification to break their physical dormancy. Conclusions: High germinability of meadow seeds will reduce their capacity to form persistent seed banks, resulting in dispersal limitations to passive regeneration. For centuries, human activities have shaped the regeneration of meadows, leading to a loss of seed dormancy and decoupling seeds from seasonal cycles, as has been found in many domesticated species. The same anthropic processes that have shaped semi-natural mesic meadows have left them dependent on continued human intervention for their regeneration, highlighting the importance of active restoration via seed supply. 000119586 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/SUDOE/INTERREG/Praderas-SOE1-P5-E0376 000119586 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/ 000119586 590__ $$a4.2$$b2022 000119586 592__ $$a1.213$$b2022 000119586 591__ $$aPLANT SCIENCES$$b48 / 239 = 0.201$$c2022$$dQ1$$eT1 000119586 593__ $$aPlant Science$$c2022$$dQ1 000119586 594__ $$a9.1$$b2022 000119586 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion 000119586 700__ $$aVaz, M. 000119586 700__ $$aMorais, B. 000119586 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-9990-571X$$aReiné, R.$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000119586 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-6991-0374$$aAscaso, J.$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000119586 700__ $$aAfif Khouri, E. 000119586 700__ $$aCarta, A. 000119586 7102_ $$15011$$2705$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural$$cÁrea Producción Vegetal 000119586 7102_ $$15011$$2063$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural$$cÁrea Botánica 000119586 773__ $$g129, 2 (2022), 121–134$$pAnn. bot.$$tAnnals of botany$$x0305-7364 000119586 8564_ $$s3460742$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/119586/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yPostprint 000119586 8564_ $$s3213130$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/119586/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yPostprint 000119586 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:119586$$particulos$$pdriver 000119586 951__ $$a2024-06-14-09:07:54 000119586 980__ $$aARTICLE