| The effect of substrate salinity and oxygen availability on seed germination and seedling development was quantified for five salt marsh plant species, in two series of experiments.;In the first series, Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis germination was successful up to 40 and 25 g NaCl;In the second series of experiments, the relationship between seed biomass and seedling development under heterotrophic conditions was quantified for S. alterniflora, P. australis, Spartina patens, Kosteletzkya virginica and Atriplex triangularis. Maximum individual seedling biomass was strictly correlated with the initial biomass of their seeds. During heterotrophic seedling development, the fraction of initial seed biomass used for maintenance respiration varied between species. High substrate salinity decreased the transfer of biomass from the seed reserve storage organs to the developing seedling, beginning at 10 g NaCl... |
