Year
2016
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
School of Biological Sciences
Recommended Citation
Borala Liyanage, Ganesha Sanjeewani Liyanage, Variation of physical seed dormancy and its ecological role in fire-prone ecosystems, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, 2016. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/4877
Abstract
In fire-prone regions, physical dormancy is common, and seeds depend on heat generated by fire to initiate germination. Increased soil temperatures during fire are the major dormancy-breaking stimulus of physically dormant species in fire-prone ecosystems, and they vary spatially and over time. Seeds must be able to respond to this variation, and we need to understand such variation, in order to predict how plant species persist in a changing environment. Currently there is an inadequate understanding of how physically dormant species respond to the variability of fire regimes. To address this knowledge gap I studied a range of physically dormant species from fire-prone south-eastern Australia.
Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.