Bromus tectorum seed germination: Between-population and between-year variation

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L., Poaceae), an introduced winter annual, has invaded a variety of habitats in western North America. This study examines variation in cheatgrass germination response and after-ripening patterns that are related to differences in habitat and to yearly differences in weather conditions during seed maturation. Seeds collected from five contrasting populations in 1992 and 1993 were subjected to controlled dry storage and then incubated across a range of temperatures. Recently harvested seeds were dormant and germinated slowly, while fully after-ripened seeds were nondormant and germinated rapidly. The optimal incubation temperature for mean germination time shifted from 5:15 to 20:30 degrees C as a result of after-ripening. Between-population differences in germination response appear to be related to the potential risk of precocious summer germination. The results from this 2-year study suggest that the more extreme yet predictable environments select for seed germination and after-ripening patterns that are genetically fixed, while populations from more favorable environments tended to show more between-year variations, suggesting more phenotypic plasticity. Germination percentage showed greater between-year variation than mean germination time. Between-year differences could not be explained simply by differences in maximum temperature or total precipitation during maturation. Adaptive germination responses in cheatgrass populations from contrasting habitats may have both genetic and environmental components, thus explaining why this species can become established in such a variety of habitats.