Comparison of three chemical tests to assess seed viability: the seed dispersal system of the Macaronesian endemic plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubia fruticosa</Emphasis> (Rubiaceae) as an example |
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Authors: | Patricia Marrero David P Padilla Francisco Valdés Manuel Nogales |
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Institution: | (1) Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group (IPNA, CSIC), C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez n° 3, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain;(2) Applied Plant Biology Group, Plant Biology Department, University of La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain |
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Abstract: | Summary. Three chemical viability tests were evaluated in the seed dispersal system of Rubia fruticosa, in which three main groups of dispersers participate: reptiles, birds and mammals. Tetrazolium chloride (TTC) and indigo
carmine (IC) indicated a lower viability of seeds from droppings of introduced rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) than of those from control plants and the native dispersers, lizards and gulls. In the rabbit seed treatment, significant
differences were observed between results obtained with TTC and IC tests. Interpretation of these data, due to the presence
of doubtful embryo staining, was more difficult using the IC test. Furthermore, some seeds that were clearly dead had been
underestimated. In contrast with results obtained from the two staining methods, the EC test did not confirm that viability
of control seeds and those seeds consumed by native dispersers were clearly higher than in seeds ingested by O. cuniculus. Further, compared to the other two tests, the EC method requires more careful handling of the embryo during the extraction
process to avoid errors in viability estimation, since this method measures concentration of electrolytes that are released
through cellular membranes. Thus, TTC was the most reliable test to assess seed viability in the seed dispersal system of
R. fruticosa, and these results agree with those obtained in previous germination experiments made on the same set of seeds given the
same treatments. |
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Keywords: | Tetrazolium Indigo carmine Electroconductivity Macaronesian Islands Rubia fruticosa Vertebrate dispersers |
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