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Main Authors: Canella, Marco, Natale, Sara, Pasinato, Anna, Boscariol, Valentina, La Rocca, Nicoletta, Alboresi, Alessandro, Dal Grande, Francesco
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: BMC plant biology 2026
Online Access:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42210088/
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author Canella, Marco
Natale, Sara
Pasinato, Anna
Boscariol, Valentina
La Rocca, Nicoletta
Alboresi, Alessandro
Dal Grande, Francesco
author_facet Canella, Marco
Natale, Sara
Pasinato, Anna
Boscariol, Valentina
La Rocca, Nicoletta
Alboresi, Alessandro
Dal Grande, Francesco
Canella, Marco
Natale, Sara
Pasinato, Anna
Boscariol, Valentina
La Rocca, Nicoletta
Alboresi, Alessandro
Dal Grande, Francesco
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Microhabitat-driven acclimation links functional and germination traits in the narrow endemic Saxifraga berica (Bég.) D.A. Webb. Canella, Marco Natale, Sara Pasinato, Anna Boscariol, Valentina La Rocca, Nicoletta Alboresi, Alessandro Dal Grande, Francesco The concept of seed germination niche provides a framework for linking germination data with ecological conditions, helping to reveal how regeneration traits mirror the environments in which species evolve and persist. Understanding these relationships is especially relevant for narrow endemics, whose restricted distributions often reflect fine-scale environmental heterogeneity. We investigated the sub-alpine Saxifraga berica to test whether microhabitat variability influences functional traits and seed germination patterns. Individuals were sampled across contrasting light microenvironments, characterized through field measurements of irradiance, light spectra, temperature, and humidity. Functional traits related to photosynthetic efficiency, photoprotection, pigment composition, and leaf morphology were assessed in the field, while seed germination percentage and timing were evaluated under controlled conditions. Multivariate analyses revealed two distinct environmental clusters associated with consistent differences in photosynthetic performance, pigment composition, and leaf structure, indicating divergent physiological acclimation strategies to light availability. Germination percentage remained generally high across clusters, but germination timing varied markedly, suggesting that microenvironmental conditions experienced by plants influence seed germination rate. Overall, S. berica exhibits two ecologically differentiated germination strategies reflecting the contrasting microhabitats. These findings highlight the importance of integrating functional traits for understanding persistence strategies in narrow-distributed endemics and provide key insights for their conservation.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_42210088
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2026
publisher BMC plant biology
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Microhabitat-driven acclimation links functional and germination traits in the narrow endemic Saxifraga berica (Bég.) D.A. Webb.
Canella, Marco
Natale, Sara
Pasinato, Anna
Boscariol, Valentina
La Rocca, Nicoletta
Alboresi, Alessandro
Dal Grande, Francesco
Microhabitat-driven acclimation links functional and germination traits in the narrow endemic Saxifraga berica (Bég.) D.A. Webb. Canella, Marco Natale, Sara Pasinato, Anna Boscariol, Valentina La Rocca, Nicoletta Alboresi, Alessandro Dal Grande, Francesco The concept of seed germination niche provides a framework for linking germination data with ecological conditions, helping to reveal how regeneration traits mirror the environments in which species evolve and persist. Understanding these relationships is especially relevant for narrow endemics, whose restricted distributions often reflect fine-scale environmental heterogeneity. We investigated the sub-alpine Saxifraga berica to test whether microhabitat variability influences functional traits and seed germination patterns. Individuals were sampled across contrasting light microenvironments, characterized through field measurements of irradiance, light spectra, temperature, and humidity. Functional traits related to photosynthetic efficiency, photoprotection, pigment composition, and leaf morphology were assessed in the field, while seed germination percentage and timing were evaluated under controlled conditions. Multivariate analyses revealed two distinct environmental clusters associated with consistent differences in photosynthetic performance, pigment composition, and leaf structure, indicating divergent physiological acclimation strategies to light availability. Germination percentage remained generally high across clusters, but germination timing varied markedly, suggesting that microenvironmental conditions experienced by plants influence seed germination rate. Overall, S. berica exhibits two ecologically differentiated germination strategies reflecting the contrasting microhabitats. These findings highlight the importance of integrating functional traits for understanding persistence strategies in narrow-distributed endemics and provide key insights for their conservation.
title Microhabitat-driven acclimation links functional and germination traits in the narrow endemic Saxifraga berica (Bég.) D.A. Webb.
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42210088/