Impact of Climate Change on Plant Seed Dormancy
As climate change alters ecosystems, the conditions seeds have depended on are increasingly disrupted. Like humans, seeds also are dealing with new challenges as the environment continues to shuffle with unpredictability.
Temperature effects: Seeds Not Germinating
Rising temperatures due to climate change are altering dormancy-breaking patterns.
Dr. Anne Cochrane is the author of a scientific review that studied how things have been shifting. In an interview with the Ecological Society of Australia, she explains, “Some of the recent observations include a reduction in germination with warmer soils, shifts in timing of germination and reduced seeding survival.”
For a seed, warmer weather patterns is like expecting your alarm to go off at 8am, only wake up at 7am and not be able to get back to sleep.
Additionally, a review from 2022 notes how heat can hinder seed development in certain plants, such as rice.
Changes in plant growth ripples throughout the ecosystem. For example, research published by the Royal Society shows how shifts in germination timing lead to mismatches in plant-insect interactions. These shifts can then cascade across the food web.
Temperature effects: Seeds Sprouting Too Early
While warming trends can reduce germination rates, in some species higher temperatures can prompt seeds to sprout earlier than normal.
Temperature effects: Poor Seed Set and Quality
Heat can stress out plants
Seed Quality and CO2 levels
Elevated CO2 can affect seed mass and nitrogen content, which lead to variability in germination.
A study in the Journal of Agricultural Science predicts that higher CO2 levels will cause non-legumes to be bigger in size - but with less nutritional quality. It would be like drinking a bigger glass of juice only to find out it’s been thinned out with water - more to drink but less nutrients than you thought you’d be getting.
Potential Solutions
Biochar effects: Biochar application can improve seed germination rates and overall growth. This is especially interesting because biochar is also known for its carbon sequestration properties.
Transgenerational effects: A study from 2024 found that a certain type of seagrass is evolving to be able to sprout at higher temperatures. Scientists compared seagrass from a location that had experienced a warming trend to seagrass from a location that had more standard temperatures. The seeds from the warmer locations germinated more effectively under various temperature conditions, suggesting an adaptive response to heat stress.
Understanding this phenomenon can help scientists predict how marine plants will adapt to climate change, aiding conservation and restoration efforts to support the preservation of vital ecosystem services.
