Spore Germination in the Laboratory and Spore Establishment in the Field in Pogonatum dentatum (Brid.) Brid

• Published in: Lindbergia (Copenhagen) 1999-01, Vol.24 (1), p.3-10
• Main Authors: Hassel, Kristian, Söderström, Lars
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bryophytes; Germination; Lowlands; Microbial colony count; Roadside; Soil samples; Sowing; Spore dispersal; Spore germination; Spores
• ISSN: 0105-0761; 2001-5909

Capsules from Pogonatum dentatum, an expanding species in Fennoscandia, were collected in the field. Number of spores per capsule and the germination frequency of spores under laboratory conditions were measured. The estimated mean number of spores per capsule was 712 000. Spores were sown on Petri dishes with nutrient-rich agar and placed in a growth chamber. The number of spores germinating increased with time after sowing and reached 96.6% after 21 d. The long time needed for the spores to germinate may be due to the light and temperature regime in the growth chamber. Spores from Pogonatum dentatum, were also sown at different densities on a newly built forest road in northern Sweden. In 37 (10×10 cm) blocks spores from ½, 1 and 2 capsules were sown. Establishment rate was estimated from the number of shoots emerging one and two years after sowing. A mean of 11, 10 and 12 shoots per block emerged after one year and 17, 20 and 22 shoots after two years, for the different sowing densities, respectively. The negative correlation between sowing density and establishment can be explained as a saturation effect, as it is likely that the spores have been sown at too high densities.