DOES ACORN WEIGHT INFLUENCE GERMINATION AND SUBSEQUENT SEEDLING GROWTH OF CENTRAL HIMALAYAN OAKS?

摘要

The effect of acorn weight on germination and subsequent seedling performance in terms of survival, growth and dry matter accumulation was studied for two important central Himalayan oak species, Quercus leucotrichophora (Banj oak) and Q. semecarpifolia (Kharsu oak). A wide variation in acorn size and fresh weight existed within these species and germination was found to be correlated with acorn weight. The larger acorns showed higher germination (65.6 and 53.3% for Q. leucotrichophora and Q. semecarpifolia respectively) compared with medium and smaller acorns. Higher survival and height increment was recorded in seedlings that emerged from larger acorns for both the species, in comparison to medium and smaller acorns. Dry matter accumulation in seedlings derived from acorns of different weight classes was significantly different for various components. Total mass for seedlings derived from larger acorns was about 45 and 31 % higher for Q. leucotrichophora and Q. semecarpifolia respectively, compared with seedlings obtained from acorns of medium weight, Relative growth rate of seedlings was found to increase with increasing acorn weight and seedling shoot height, whereas a reverse trend was recorded for stem height:stem dry mass ratio. This studyhas implications for the forestry plantation programmes.