Some aspects of the population biology of annuals from the Chenopodiaceae in halophytic communities in the Crimea.

摘要

The life cycle and the structure of populations of the annual halophytes of the Chenopodiaceae were investigated in the Crimea region of the Ukraine. These species grew from July to October. The rate of growth was variable during development and wascorrelated with growth stages. Two peak periods of seed germination were found in Suaeda prostrata and S. confusa. The other species (Petrosimonia brachiata, P. oppositifolia, Bassia sedoides, B. hirsuta, Atriplex tatarica and Salicornia europaea) had one peak germination period during the first part of the growing season. The plants had ruderal growth strategies and they predominated in extreme habitats, where stress-tolerant ecotypes usually prevail. The role of these species in plant communities isdescribed. The main factors distinguishing these species were high relative growth rate and high seed output.