INFLUENCE OF PROVENANCE ON RIBES CEREUM AND SYMPHORICARPOS OREOPHILUS SEED GERMINATION IN NEW MEXICO SEED SOURCES~1

摘要

Mountain snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus) and wax currant (Ribes cereum) are co-occurring shrub species found in ponderosa pin and mixed conifer forests in New Mexico. These species are candidate species for mined land reclamation because both occur in full sunlight and in the understory and are found on a wide range of edaphic conditions. Mountain snowberry seeds have both a scarification and a stratification requirement for germination, whereas wax currant seeds requires only stratification treatment. Separate studies were conducted examining the influence of provenance, from within New Mexico, on conventional seed propagation protocols for each species. The wax currant study utilized eight seed sources and the mountain snowberry study utilized seven seed sources. Seed sources were selected to represent the latitudinal range of the species in New Mexico, and an elevational range at the most northerly latitude sampled. There was considerable variability among seed sources of both species in overall germination rates and response to treatment severity. In wax currant, the southernmost source did not benefit from stratification, but for all of the more northerly sources, germination was improved b stratification treatments. There was also considerable variability among mountain snowberry seed sources in response to scarification treatments, but no distinct latitudinal trends were apparent. Implications of these studies on selection pressure and restoration are discussed.