Long-term seed bank persistence in Arctomecon californica

Seed banks, the collection of viable seeds in the soil, are particularly important determinants of population survival in highly variable environments. Predictions of increased stochasticity in the amount and timing of precipitation in desert environments raise the question of how seed banks of desert species will respond to climate change, and ultimately, whether these species will persist. Here, we present data from our long-term studies of germination requirements and seed bank dynamics in a rare desert gypsophile perennial, Arctomecon californica (Las Vegas bearpoppy). Arctomecon californica is a relatively short-lived plant that recruits from seed in sequences of unusually favorable years. We used germination experiments, an in situ seed bank study, and a 15-year field seed retrieval study to examine factors affecting seed bank persistence. In the germination study, a majority of seeds remained dormant, despite a wide variety of treatments, suggesting that a large proportion of the..., Study organism and habitat
Arctomecon californica, the Las Vegas bearpoppy, is a rare herbaceous perennial plant of the Mojave Desert.  The species is restricted to barren ‘badlands’ soils high in gypsum or with other unusual chemical attributes. It has lost much of its habitat, primarily due to urbanization, and it is limited to fragmented, remnant populations in the Las Vegas Valley, larger populations around Lake Mead in Nevada and Arizona, and a disjunct population in the Lower Grand Canyon. The species was recently petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
We chose two sites in different parts of the species range for the field experiments reported here. The first site was a small Las Vegas bearpoppy preserve at the northeastern corner of the North Las Vegas Air Terminal in the Las Vegas Valley, while the second site was within a bearpoppy population on the road to the St. Thomas historic townsite near the north end of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Arctomec...,