The Effect of Shrubs on the Establishment of an Endangered Perennial (Asclepias curtissii) Endemic to Florida Scrub
| Autor: | Kristen D. Marshall Mattson, Cynthia C. Bennington, Patrick Mondo |
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| Rok vydání: | 2010 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Southeastern Naturalist. 9:259-274 |
| ISSN: | 1938-5412 1528-7092 |
| Popis: | Asclepias curtissii (Curtiss' Milkweed) is an endangered perennial herbaceous plant endemic to Florida scrub habitat. Although many scrub perennials are gap specialists, Curtiss' Milkweed is often found growing in close association with woody vegetation. We asked whether seed germination and seedling establishment are enhanced by the microsite conditions created beneath woody shrubs. In addition, we asked whether adult plants occur in association with shrubs more frequently than would be expected by chance and whether this distribution could be explained by seed dispersal patterns. Seeds were germinated, ex situ, in a factorial experiment with leaf litter and shade as main effects. In a separate experiment, to determine the effect of shrub cover on seedling establishment, 144 Curtiss' Milkweed seedlings were planted into a total of twelve fenced plots within Lyonia Preserve, Deltona, FL. Within each plot, six seedlings were planted in sandy gaps, and six were planted in close association with exi... |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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