Abstract
Abstract Seed germination is a key stage in a plant's life cycle, influencing regeneration from seed by determining the post‐germination environment, plant fitness and evolutionary potential. Therefore, seed germination traits are expected to play a fundamental role in the naturalization of alien seed plants; yet broad‐scale empirical evidence of this remains limited. Using seed germination data for 1146 native temperate European herbaceous species, we tested whether species that have become naturalized outside their native range differ from non‐naturalized species in overall germinability (final germination proportion) and in their germination responses to six environmental cues across temperate, tropical dry and tropical humid macroclimatic zones of naturalization. We also assessed whether germinability and responses to these cues are associated with the geographic extent of naturalization, using a phylogenetically informed meta‐analysis that integrates 18,596 standardized laboratory germination records with global naturalization data. Naturalization was a common phenomenon, with 60% of species having naturalized in temperate regions and over 30% having naturalized in tropical regions. Naturalized species showed consistently higher overall germinability, germination at lower temperatures and higher requirements for seed scarification compared to non‐naturalized species, while other germination traits varied with the macroclimatic zone of naturalization. The extent of naturalization was also positively, though weakly, related to higher germinability and to the same germination traits that distinguished naturalized from non‐naturalized species. Synthesis . This study provides global‐scale evidence that the naturalization of European herbaceous species is related to specific germination traits acquired in the native range. Our findings indicate that traits such as high germinability, low stratification requirements and responsiveness to scarification act as preadaptations that facilitate naturalization by increasing opportunities for establishment. They also show that standardized laboratory germination tests using seeds sourced from native populations represent a cost‐effective tool for improving global risk assessments and for predicting naturalization potential under climate change through alterations in regeneration from seed.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
About 60% of the temperate European herbaceous species had naturalized in temperate regions.
Verbatim
e0“Naturalization was a common phenomenon, with 60% of species having naturalized in temperate regions”
t0“temperate European herbaceous species”
Claim · model-written summary
Over 30% of the species had naturalized in tropical regions.
Verbatim
e0“over 30% having naturalized in tropical regions”
t0“temperate European herbaceous species”
Claim · model-written summary
Naturalized species showed consistently higher overall germinability than non-naturalized species.
Verbatim
e0“Naturalized species showed consistently higher overall germinability, germination at lower temperatures and higher requirements for seed scarification compared to non‐naturalized species”
t0“temperate European herbaceous species”
Claim · model-written summary
Naturalized species showed germination at lower temperatures compared with non-naturalized species.
Verbatim
e0“Naturalized species showed consistently higher overall germinability, germination at lower temperatures and higher requirements for seed scarification compared to non‐naturalized species”
t0“temperate European herbaceous species”
Claim · model-written summary
Naturalized species showed higher requirements for seed scarification than non-naturalized species.
Verbatim
e0“Naturalized species showed consistently higher overall germinability, germination at lower temperatures and higher requirements for seed scarification compared to non‐naturalized species”
t0“temperate European herbaceous species”
Claim · model-written summary
The extent of naturalization was positively but weakly related to higher germinability and to the same germination traits that distinguished naturalized from non-naturalized species.
- Taxon
- temperate European herbaceous speciest0
- Outcome
- extent of naturalizatione0
- Direction
- positivelye0
- Qualifier
- though weaklye0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The extent of naturalization was also positively, though weakly, related to higher germinability”
t0“temperate European herbaceous species”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that high germinability, low stratification requirements and responsiveness to scarification act as preadaptations that facilitate naturalization.
Verbatim
e0“high germinability, low stratification requirements and responsiveness to scarification act as preadaptations that facilitate naturalization”
t0“temperate European herbaceous species”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that standardized laboratory germination tests using seeds from native populations are a cost-effective tool for improving global risk assessments.
Verbatim
e0“standardized laboratory germination tests using seeds sourced from native populations represent a cost‐effective tool for improving global risk assessments”
t0“temperate European herbaceous species”