Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-06-28T15:42:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luciana Maranhao Pessoa.pdf: 566902 bytes, checksum: 50b56fbd70d205293b9dce6101138933 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-28T15:42:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luciana Maranhao Pessoa.pdf: 566902 bytes, checksum: 50b56fbd70d205293b9dce6101138933 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-02-19 / This study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the seed bank seasonal and spatial variation in two different topographic situations (upper and lower slopes), two types of erosion (rills and interrills) and two periods (dry and rainy seasons) in an area of caatinga located in Serra Talhada municipality, state of Pernambuco (PE). Sixty soil samples were collected and 60 erosion pins were installed near each soil collection spot, in the intention of evaluating the removal level and deposition of the soil, in the two climatic seasons and in the rills and interrills. The bank’s density was evaluated by the emerged plantules method. About 79% of the seeds germinated in the bank are herbaceous annual. The density of germinated viable seeds was greater during the rainy (5.727,3 seeds/m2) that in the dry season (1.369,0 seeds/m2), and the upper than in the lower slope in both period. With relationship to the erosion types, there was just at that significant difference rainy season, where the interrills presented greater number of seeds and larger removal of the soil. The seasonal variation of the bank is registered in other arid andsemi-arid areas of the world that also point prevalence of herbaceous of short life cycle and larger density in the rainy period. Possible explanations for these patterns point the need of more studies on caatinga erosion, once the results of the removal-deposition processes differed of the told in the literature. / Este trabalho objetivou compreender a variação sazonal e espacial do banco de sementes da caatinga em duas situações topográficas (encosta superior e inferior) e tipos de erosão (sulcos e entressulcos) em épocas seca e chuvosa. Foram realizadas 60 coletas de amostras de solo e instalados 60 vergalhões de ferro, próximos ao local de cada coleta do solo, no intuito de avaliar o nível de remoção e deposição do solo, nas duas estações climáticas e nos sulcos e entressulcos. A densidade do banco foi avaliada do método de emergência de plântulas. Cerca de 79% das sementes germinadas no banco são herbáceas anuais. A densidade de sementes viáveis germinadas foi maior na época de chuva (5.727,3 sementes/m2) que na época de seca (1.369,0 sementes/m2). A encosta superior apresentou maior número de indivíduos em ambas as épocas. Com relação aos tipos de erosão, houve apenas diferença significativa na época chuvosa, onde os entressulcos apresentaram maior número de sementes e maior remoção do solo. A variação sazonal do banco é registrada em outras áreas áridas e semi-áridas do mundo que também apontam predomínio de herbáceas de ciclo de vida curto e maior densidade no período chuvoso. Possíveis explicações para estes padrões apontam a necessidade de mais estudos sobre erosão de caatinga, uma vez que os resultados dos processos de remoção-deposição diferiram do relatado na literatura.

Orientadores: Inacio Maria Dal Fabbro, Roberto Alves Braga Júnior / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T23:23:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Enes_AdilsonMachado_D.pdf: 7764074 bytes, checksum: 5c4acae94141aaa6dfb85e0983718ee4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O biospeckle laser é um fenômeno óptico de interferência que ocorre quando há incidência de luz coerente em um material biológico que exibe algum tipo de atividade. Essa atividade pode ser decorrente de processos biológicos ou de fatores puramente físicos, como a evaporação e a vibração ambiental. O conjunto de elementos físicos e biológicos que alteram o padrão de interferência do biospeckle laser é constituído por diversos elementos. Atualmente, diversas técnicas de processamento de imagens tem sido empregadas para quantificar o nível de atividade de materiais biológicos e correlacionar esses níveis com padrões de qualidade. No entanto, as técnicas empregadas até o momento para analisar sementes por meio do biospeckle laser não conseguem diferenciar os diversos elementos de forma satisfatória. A diferenciação desses elementos é de fundamental importância para o aproveitamento do fenômeno em aplicações reais, tais como a análise de viabilidade e vigor de sementes. Essa diferenciação possibilitaria a elaboração de procedimentos de análise rápidos, automáticos, objetivos e não destrutivos. Entre os elementos de grande relevância para a análise de sementes estão os danos físicos, que podem ser decorrentes de impacto durante o manejo, de ataques de insetos, entre outros e, normalmente, provocam na semente áreas com atividade biológica reduzida. Por outro lado, uma semente pode conter áreas infestadas por fungos e microrganismos diversos, sendo que essas áreas, no geral, constituem áreas de alta atividade biológica. A fundamentação teórica do biospeckle laser permite supor que seja possível identificar e mapear os fenômenos decorrentes da atividade biológica em sementes, inserindo no processamento das imagens, técnicas de análise de frequência como a Transformada de Wavelets (TW). Desta forma, este trabalho teve como objetivo principal verificar a potencialidade da TW aplicada ao sinal do biospeckle laser, para identificar e mapear fenômenos de atividades em sementes de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Para a aquisição dos dados foram utilizados uma câmera monocromática, uma câmera digital, um emissor laser HeNe vermelho de 632 nm e 10 mW de potência e um emissor laser de diodo de 632 nm e 5 mW de potência. Para aferir os resultados foi utilizado o teste padrão de Tetrazólio (TZ). Utilizando as técnicas mencionadas, foram gerados mapas digitais de atividade, sendo esses comparados com os resultados do TZ. Os resultados mostraram que o mapeamento pela TW são capazes de identificar danos naturais e mecânicos em sementes de feijão. Os danos térmicos provocados artificialmente também são identificados, bem como as atividades decorrentes de reações químicas superficiais. A técnica de filtragem por TW apresenta grande potencialidade na identificação de fenômenos de baixa e alta atividade nas sementes de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) e, seus resultados, podem ser correlacionados com danos e contaminações / Abstract: The laser biospeckle is an optical interferometric phenomena that occurs when an incident light insides on an active biological material surface. The material activity can be originated from biological processes or even from some isolated physical phenomena. It does exist a group of components in a biological material which can change the biospeckle interference pattern. Many images processing techniques have been employed to quantify the activity level of a biological material and to correlate it with quality patterns. However, the techniques employed at this time for to quantify activity level and to evaluate seed quality, can not be employed to identify the components with acceptable accuracy. However, the identification and differentiation of these components is of fundamental importance to technique development applicable to a variety of situations as seed viability analysis, seed vigor, generating quick and non destructive, as well as capable of automation methods. Physical damages occurring by impact during product handling, insect attack and others do generate zones of low biological activities. By other side, seeds can exhibited zones attacked by fungi and other microorganisms holding high biological activities. Theoretical considerations support the possibility of identifying as well as mapping the phenomena originated from biological activities in seeds by inserting Wavelets Transform (TW) and Frequency Analysis in the image processing. Based on what it has been exposed before, the objectives of this research work can be summarized as to verify the potentiality of the Wavelets Transform (TW) applied to the laser biospeckle signal in indentifying and mapping phenomena associated to activities in seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris, L. The experimental setup included a monochromatic camera, a digital camera, a 632 red and 10 mW powered HeNe laser and a diode 632 nm and 5 mW powered. A tetrazolium (TZ) test was employed as a pattern test. The above described procedure generated digital maps of activity which were compared with the TZ. Results showed that the technique are able of identifying natural and mechanical bruising beans seeds. Artificialy generated thermal and chemical damages were identified as well. TW filtering techniques exhibits significant potentiality in indentifying high and low activities in beans seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) that can be correlated to damages and contaminations / Doutorado / Maquinas Agricolas / Doutor em Engenharia Agrícola

Orientador: Wesley Rodrigues Silva / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T04:47:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Azevedo-Niero_IaraRoberta_M.pdf: 2884673 bytes, checksum: a3db764152d8b49c5c45f5689a19fb39 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Araras-azuis (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) são especialistas alimentares, sendo que a população que ocorre no Pantanal se alimenta prioritariamente do endosperma de sementes de acuri (Attalea phalerata) e bocaiuva (Acrocomia sp.). Mesmo considerando o alto valor nutricional e energético das sementes, estudos apontam que araras-azuis passariam por períodos de déficit proteico durante o período de muda de penas e oviposição. É comum as araras-azuis se alimentarem destes itens no solo, onde também ocorre a predação dessas sementes por larvas de besouros bruquíneos, do gênero Pachymerus. Tais larvas são três vezes mais proteicas que o endosperma das sementes. Considerando a possibilidade de araras-azuis, ao se alimentarem no solo, se depararem com sementes já predadas por larvas de besouro, e tendo em vista algumas variações que seu alimento pode apresentar no ambiente, o intuito deste trabalho foi estudar seleção e preferências alimentares das araras-azuis em relação à oferta de alimento, além de averiguar se as larvas de besouro são utilizadas em sua dieta. As sementes de acuri e bocaiuva estão disponíveis às araras-azuis durante todo o ano. O período seco apresentou maior proporção de sementes predadas por bruquíneos do que o período úmido, para as duas espécies de palmeiras. Áreas fechadas tiveram mais sementes predadas por bruquíneos do que áreas abertas, com exceção às sementes de acuris no período seco, quando a predação foi semelhante. Independentemente da espécie da palmeira, da área, ou do período, sementes coletadas sem exocarpo estavam mais predadas por bruquíneos do que sementes com exocarpo, e sementes velhas mais predadas por bruquíneo que as novas. Sementes que continham larvas de besouro possuíam tamanhos semelhantes, porém eram mais leves que as que não continham. Araras-azuis selecionaram sementes com quatro e cinco lóculos e preferiram sementes sem exocarpo, mas não apresentaram preferências entre sementes com e sem larvas de bruquíneo. Aparentemente as araras não expeliram ou rejeitaram larvas encontradas nas sementes. Restos de larvas não foram encontrados após inspeção dos locais onde ocorreram os experimentos. Considerando que um indivíduo cativo ingeriu larvas, é possível inferir que araras de vida-livre podem ingerir larvas de bruquíneo quando as encontram. Mesmo sendo especialistas, araras-azuis exibem preferências por determinados itens alimentares. A preferência por sementes sem exocarpo corrobora estudos anteriores, que demonstraram menor tempo de manipulação, mas também maior probabilidade de predação por larvas de bruquíneo para estas sementes. Araras-azuis podem não saber discriminar entre sementes com e sem larvas de bruquíneo ou apenas podem não preferir uma em detrimento da outra. Sementes com mais lóculos talvez otimizem o aporte energético do endosperma em relação ao custo para quebrá-las, ou ainda favoreçam a chance de encontro de larvas de bruquíneo contra sementes com menos lóculos. Alimentar-se de sementes no solo pode representar um aporte adicional de proteína às araras, especialmente durante o período seco, enquanto as larvas de bruquíneos se desenvolvem em adultos. Esta estratégia representaria uma adaptação alimentar importante para a arara-azul no Pantanal, suprindo uma dieta proteica previsível no tempo e no espaço, e reduzindo os riscos de períodos de deficiência nutricional / Abstract: Hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) are food specialists and the population that occurs in the Pantanal feeds mainly on the endosperm of acuri (Attalea phalerata) and bocaiúva (Acrocomia sp.). Even considering the high values of energy and nutrients of those seeds, studies suggest that Hyacinth macaws undergo periods with lack of protein during moult and oviposition. Hyacinth macaws regularly feed on seeds on the ground, where Bruchinae beetle larvae of the genus Pachymerus also attack the seeds. Those larvae have three times more protein than the endosperm of the seeds. Considering that Hyacinth macaws can find seeds attacked by larvae while feeding on the ground, as well as some variations their food may present in the habitat, the aim of this work was to study the food selection and dietary preferences of the Hyacinth macaws in relation to their food supply, and to verify whether bruchid larvae are part of their diet. Acuri and bocaiuva seeds are available to macaws throughout the year. For both palm species, the dry period showed a higher proportion of seeds attacked by bruchids than the wet period. Forested areas had more seeds attacked by bruchids than open areas, except for acuris during the dry season, when predation was similar. Regardless of the kind of seed, area, or period, seeds collected without exocarp were more predated by bruchids than seeds with exocarp, and old seeds most predated than new ones. Seeds containing bruchid larvae showed similar size and lighter weight than those not containing. Hyacinth macaws selected seeds with four and five locules and preferred seeds without exocarp, but showed no preference between seeds with and without larvae. Seemingly, Hyacinth macaws not expelled or rejected larvae found in the seeds. Remains of larvae were not found after inspection of the sites where the experiments occurred. Since a captive Hyacinth macaw ingested larvae, it is possible to infer that the free-living ones can also ingest them. Even being food specialists, Hyacinth macaws exhibit preferences for certain food items. The preference for seeds without exocarp supports previous studies that demonstrate less handling time, but also higher probability of predation by bruchid larvae for those seeds. Hyacinth macaws may not be able to distinguish between seeds with and without bruchid larvae or may just not prefer one to the other. Seeds with more loci may optimize the energy intake by the endosperm regarding the costs to break it, or even favor the chance of encountering bruchid larvae against seeds with less locules. Feeding on seeds on the ground may represent an extra intake of protein to Hyacinth macaws, especially during the dry season, while bruchid larvae undergo their development into adults. This strategy would represent an important feeding adaptation to Hyacinth macaw in the Pantanal, providing a predictable protein diet in time and space, and reducing the risk of periods of nutritional deficiency / Mestrado / Ecologia / Mestra em Ecologia

Orientadores: Sandra Maria Carmello Guerreiro, Silvia Rodrigues Machado / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T04:49:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tolke_ElisabethEmiliaAugustaDantas_M.pdf: 15837739 bytes, checksum: 8d91bccef86d47cf61ace6595cbf206b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Tapirira guianensis Aubl. (Anacardiaceae) conhecida popularmente como pau-pombo é uma espécie importante para uso madeireiro, medicinal e pode ser empregada na recuperação de áreas degradadas e de matas ciliares. Diversas substâncias são produzidas em estruturas secretoras específicas, sendo a presença de canais e cavidades secretoras característica universal da família. Na literatura é relatada a presença de disco nectarífero intraestaminal nas flores de muitas Anacardiaceae. No entanto, estudos anatômicos e histoquímicos recentes não comprovaram a secreção de néctar por esta estrutura. Além disso, nestes trabalhos foi verificada a persistência do disco intraestaminal no fruto maduro de T. guianensis, bem como a presença de um endocarpo secretor em frutos não maduros. Aliado a estes fatores, a ontogenia de frutos e sementes também é um tema pouco explorado frente ao grande número de espécies da família. A anatomia dos frutos de Anacardiaceae tem-se mostrado de grande valor sistemático. Assim, o presente trabalho consistiu em verificar a estrutura e ultraestrutura do disco glandular de flores e frutos de T. guianensis, bem como examinar a natureza da secreção produzida e estudar a ontogenia do fruto e da semente. Com os resultados alcançados foi possível determinar que a glândula floral das flores hermafroditas de T. guianensis é uma glândula de secreção mista, produzindo néctar com predominância de sacarose, lipídios e substâncias fenólicas. Ultraestruturalmente esta glândula passa por mudanças profundas ao longo do desenvolvimento da flor, inicialmente rica em amiloplastos e posteriormente plastídios desprovidos de amido e mitocôndrias repletas de gotículas de óleo, indicando a mudança da secreção antes predominantemente hidrofílica para lipofílica. No que diz respeito à anatomia do fruto, observou-se que o mesmo possui características típicas da tribo Spondieae, porém algumas delas indicam uma condição menos derivada da espécie, como ausência de opérculo e endocarpo relativamente fino quando comparado com outras espécies da mesma tribo. O pericarpo possui grande quantidade de canais resiníferos na região do mesocarpo, epicarpo produzindo substâncias fenólicas e lipídios, e por meio de microscopia eletrônica de transmissão pôde-se observar o modo de secreção, as organelas envolvidas do processo, bem como a estrutura celular. A semente provém de um óvulo único, anátropo, bitegumentado, crassinucelado de funículo longo. A semente não possui camada mecânica, tem a exotesta e endotégmen ricos em substâncias fenólicas, cristais no mesotégmen, desenvolvimento de paquicalaza parcial, hipóstase fenólica e lipídica, permanência de funículo aderido ao envoltório da semente, formando um arilo vestigial. O embrião armazena grande quantidade de proteínas e amido, indicando uma condição de transição da espécie, pois em Anacardiaceae as reservas são constituídas principalmente por proteínas e lipídios. O fruto e semente apresentaram algumas características anatômicas possivelmente relacionadas à dispersão como, formação de aerênquima no mesocarpo interno e na mesotesta, acúmulo de amido no mesocarpo. O trabalho traz contribuições no estudo de glândulas florais em Anacardiaceae e na área de ontogenia de frutos e sementes / Abstract: Tapirira guianensis Aubl. (Anacardiaceae) well-known as "pau-pombo" is an important species with uses as timber, in medicine and can be employed recovering degraded areas and riparian forests. Several substances are produced in specific secretory structures and the presence of cavities and ducts are universal features in the family. In literature is reported the presence of an intrastaminal receptacular nectary in the flowers of many Anacardiaceae, however anatomical and histochemical recent studies did not support the nectar secretion by this structure. Furthermore, in other studies were found the persistence of intrastaminal receptacular gland in T. guianensis ripe fruits and the presence of a secretory endocarp in unripe fruits. Allied these factors, the ontogeny of fruits and seeds is also a relatively unexplored subject, in contrast with the large number of species from this family. The fruit anatomy of Anacardiaceae has proved great systematic value. Thus, the present study verified T. guianensis structure and ultrastructure of flowers and fruits intrastaminal gland and examined the nature of substances produced as well the fruit and seed development. With the results obtained it was possible provide that the T. guianensis floral gland of hermaphrodite flowers is a mixed secretion gland, producing nectar with sucrose predominance, lipids and fenolic substances. Ultrastructurally, this gland undergoes deep changes during the development of the flower, originally rich in amyloplasts and subsequently chloroplasts devoids of starch and mitochondria replete with oil droplets, indicating the change in the secretion predominantly hydrophilic to lipophilic. With respect to the fruit anatomy, it was observed characteristics typical of the tribe Spodieae, but some of them indicate a condition less derived of this species, such as lack of operculum and endocarp relatively thin compared to other species of the same tribe. Pericarp has a large number of resiniferous ducts in mesocarp region, and epicarp produces phenolic substances and lipids. By transmission electron microscopy it was possible to observe the way of secretion, the organelles involved in process and the cell structure. Seed comes from a single ovule, anatropous, bitegmic, crassinucelate with longe funicle. Seed does not have mechanical layer, has exotest and endotegmen rich in phenolic substances, crystals in mesotegmen, development of partial pachycalaza, phenolic and lipid hypostasis, permanence of the funicle attached to the seed-coat, forming a vestigial aril. The embryo stores large amounts of protein and starch, indicating a transitional condition in the species, because Anacardiaceae reserves comprehend mainly protein and lipids. Fruit and seed showed anatomical characteristics possibly related to dispersion, like formation of aerenchyma in the inner mesocarp and mesotest, starch accumulations in mesocarp. The work brings contributions in the study of Anacardiaceae floral glands and in the area of fruit and seeds ontogeny / Mestrado / Biologia Vegetal / Mestra em Biologia Vegetal

This thesis investigates the pre-seed funding process for technology start-ups. Furthermore, it aims to investigate, how the process of acquiring pre-seed funding is, and which challenges entrepreneurs are facing during this process. The data of this thesis were collected through semi-structured interviews with tech start-ups that recently have gone through the funding process and where therefore able to contribute with perspectives of the pre-seed funding process. After analysing the data from the interviews, we investigated how entrepreneurs experience the process of acquiring early-stage funding. We found that the pre-seed funding process for tech start-ups first of all is time consuming. The applications to funding-organisations takes up valuable time for the start-up. Furthermore, entrepreneurs should consider the framing and pitching of the business when applying for funding. The entrepreneurs face several challenges during the process, including limitations on how the money can be spent. Many of the funding programme applications are very bureaucratic and demanding, and some startups require external assistance just to fill out these applications. The lack of network for early-stage entrepreneurs is a challenge, when applying for funding for the company. For entrepreneurs, credibility is also an important part when applying for early-stage funding. These are the areas this thesis will touch upon, as they are central aspects to processes and challenges that entrepreneurs are facing during the pre-seed funding phase. Since this thesis comprises a small group of tech start-ups from Uppsala and Stockholm in Sweden, it is not able to say anything about the possible differences in the pre-seed funding processes in other countries. However, this study gives an initial view about the process of acquiring pre-seed funding in these cities and should stimulate for further research addressing this subject in Sweden and abroad.

It has long been evident that genome size is not an accurate measure of organismal complexity. This paradox was “solved” with the discovery of nonfunctional and selfish DNA in the 1970s. However, emerging from this explanation was an enigma of complexity. Neither neutral nor adaptive models can account for all genome size variation across the tree of life. An organism with intraspecific variation is needed to investigate the functional role of genome size differences. Here I use different populations of the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, with a known intraspecific genome size variation of ~4%. It has previously been shown that a larger genome is associated with higher scores in fitness-related traits for this species. In this study, genome size is regressed with phenotypic plasticity along three different environmental gradients. Genome size did not correlate with plasticity in mass and development time along environmental gradients of temperature and host types. However, the results show that larger genomes are consistent with higher canalization of fitness under different food regimes. This further supports the idea that natural selection acts on genome size variation in this species.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Candice A. Shoemaker / Seed saving, whether performed by subsistence farmers, by breeders at land grant universities, or the seed industry, provide the world’s farmers with the needed supply of seeds to produce food crops annually. This thesis considers historical agricultural trends as they relate to the process of seed saving. It utilizes information gathered from primary source materials, historical monographs, and FAO and NGO publications. Chapter two discusses six universal agricultural dichotomies and how they relate to seed saving over time and globally. The dichotomies examined as they relate to seed saving include: subsistence and commercial, commons and commodity, public and private, basic and applied, global north and south, and urban and rural food production. Subsistence and commons oriented agricultural systems have historically traveled towards commercial and commodity forms in developed countries like the United States. As a result, seed saving moved from something farmers did to either public or private institutions that performed basic and applied research for genetic improvement of agricultural crops. As breeding programs looked outward for better breeding materials (germplasm) the importance of the Global North and South and Urban and Rural locales became important. Based on the results of this examination, it is clear that prioritizing subsistence practices and understanding seeds as a commonly held resource play important roles in maintaining agricultural diversity, particularly for more commercialized and commodity oriented agricultures. This shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture in the Global South jeopardizes subsistence agriculture’s ability to maintain agricultural diversity. Chapter three utilized a case study framework and focused on American seed saving within the Corn Belt from 1890 to 1950. The Corn Show, a common annual showcase of corn seed savers in the Midwest, supported both subsistence and commercial agricultural ideals. It also set the stage for the introduction of hybrid corn and suggested an alternative to the commodification of seeds by the industry. These results suggest that seed saving programs today could benefit from a culture that values subsistence practices while still utilizing the benefits of contemporary methods that are common to commodification. The added benefit of community and diversity that are realized by seed saving could develop a culture of seed production that is capable of contributing to rural development goals. This thesis concludes by tying together its discussion of dichotomies, reinforcing the connectedness between different agricultural production systems, and thus, the need for many different types of seed saving.

Hazelnuts are mostly non-dormant at harvest but develop seed dormancy after a few days of storage. The seeds have been classified as recalcitrant since they cannot be stored for more than one year under ambient conditions. Cryopreservation has not been satisfactory so an alternative protocol is required. To test for recalcitrance, chilled non-dormant seeds (control) were compared with gibberellic acid (GA3) treated seeds during 6 weeks storage at 5°C or at ambient temperature. Control seed moisture content (MC) was 14-15% compared with 20% for GA3 treated seeds. No change in viability was noted until the end of 6 weeks at ambient temperature, when infection proliferated. Reduced germinability, associated with increased leachate conductivity, was noted on all treatments and controls, with ambient temperature storage most harmful for seed viability. This supports classification of hazel seeds as recalcitrant. However, orthodox behaviour could be induced by reducing seed moisture to <6%, showing survival for more than 3 years at -20°C with acceptable germinability and producing healthy seedlings. Pathogen tests show that 6 weeks chilling to break seed dormancy may activate the seeds’ internal protective mechanisms, thereby reducing infection and enabling germination and healthy seedling establishment. The link between seed viability and protection from free radicals and pathogens was examined. Antioxidant activity in hazelnut seed associates (such as endocarp, funiculus and testa) was found to be much higher than in the seed embryo, perhaps indicating that hazel seeds have natural protective mechanisms within the pericarp. Antioxidant activity of seed associates increased during chilling, indicating their role in protecting the seed. Nevertheless, TTC test revealed that seeds acclimatised to ii < 6% MC and stored at 5°C for 45 weeks showed viability loss due to damage of the embryonic axes, probably caused by free radicals. Initial tests to stabilise seed moisture content showed that reduction in seed moisture did not impose dormancy and seed moisture content (MC) stabilisation resulted in > 80% germination but many abnormal seedlings. Dormancy reversibility was tested by treatments T1 (one period at 15°C) and T2 (two periods at 15°C), designed following a consideration of the natural environment. Both resulted in reduced germination, delayed seedling emergence, increased abnormal seedlings, reduced seedling height and decreased internode numbers. To test the role of temperature in reduced seed performance, non-dormant hazelnuts were held at either 5°C or at ambient temperature for up to 6 weeks. Seeds from both sets exhibited high viability, but germinability was significantly decreased in the ambient temperature set, associated with increases in leachate conductivity and infection. Work in this thesis has confirmed that dormancy was broken by chilling, with gradually increasing germination as chilling time was increased. Germination increased with increase in chilling and reduction in infection. No infection was recoreded after 6 weeks chilling. It is most likely that protective agents are produced causing suppression of infection. In these experiments it was observed that not all germinated seeds produced healthy seedlings, suggesting that germination tests without observation of seedlings may give an incomplete assessment of germination success. Assessment using the Tetrazolium test (TTC) was found to be much more dependable and it was also possible to detect damage to specific tissues that might result in unhealthy seedlings.

Seed dormancy is a mechanism with great importance in plant fitness and it inhibits seed germination until is broken and seeds can germinate under optimal environmental conditions favorable for successful reproduction. Primary dormancy is contingent to the environment that seeds and the mother plant experience. Temperature is a major factor participating in the regulation of this complex trait. High and low levels of dormancy are induced during seed maturation by cold and warm temperatures respectively but the mechanism at the basis of temperature signaling in seeds is not well understood. Climate change and increased weather variability threaten the constant supply of high quality seeds into the market hence agriculture productivity. Therefore, understanding and taking control of the molecular mechanism behind the regulation of seed dormancy and germination will help to control and predict seed behavior in the field. Here I describe and discuss a forward genetic screen for the selection of mutant seed lines with altered seed dormancy in response to cool temperature during seed set. Putative mutant seed lines designated awake1 to awake52, were preliminarily characterized. Eleven awake lines were selected for further analysis and one was investigated in more detail. It was revealed that awake1 seeds shares common phenotype with seeds of a suberin deficient mutant which were previously reported to display increased dormancy but, here, I show they also display a reduction of seed dormancy. Segregation analysis suggests that the reduced dormancy phenotype is maternally inherited as the suberin deficient mutants. Also, transcriptomic analysis shows that many suberin associated genes are temperature-regulated. I conclude that control of suberin deposition may play a role in the regulation of dormancy in response to cool temperature.

Wildfires play a significant role in many different elements of Mediterranean forest ecosystems. In recent years, prescribed fires have started being used more often as a fuel reduction tool, and also as silvicultural treatment to help the regeneration and health improvement of stands. Apart from the fact that fire may alter microsite conditions, very little is known about the impact of prescribed burning on natural regeneration or plant species renewal in Mediterranean pine forests. Likewise, knowledge about the influence of seedling predators on post-fire regeneration is still scarce. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of seedling predation on recruitment in earlier stages after prescribed burnings in three pine stands in Central Spain: a pure stand of Pinus nigra; a mixed stand of Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinaster and a mixed stand P. nigra with P. pinaster. In situ we superficially sowed seeds from two different species. In the sowing experiment, we tested two different seed provenances (drier and more humid spanish regions) for each species. In all, 60 plots (30 burned, 30 unburned) per site, with 10 seeding units per plot and more than 20,000 seeds, were used in the whole study. Seedling predation was evaluated by replicating the seeding units inside and outside a wire cage as protection for rodents and birds. Our results showed that prescribed fires alter initial seedling predation intensity: predation was significantly higher in the seedlings grown in the plots affected by prescribed fire. The individuals sown before the fire passed showed slightly more predation than those sown after fire passage. Provenances did not appear as an important predation drive. Understanding the role of the predation associated with these treatments can help improve Mediterranean pine forest management.