Thermal germination characteristics of three High Arctic plants: Implications for their response to climate warming

Abstract

Although temperature plays a crucial role in governing seed reproduction in High Arctic plants, little is known about the germination response of these plants to climate warming. We conducted a germination experiment to examine the thermal germination characteristics of three common High Arctic plant species in Svalbard: Dryas octopetala, Oxyria digyna, and Salix polaris. We exposed the seeds to two temperature regimes: gradually increasing and decreasing temperatures between 4 and 15 °C. Additionally, we measured the ground surface temperatures at the study site. All three High Arctic plant species exhibited no specific temperature requirements for germination, with minimum germination temperatures falling within the range of 4–8 °C. Based on the ground surface temperature data, the period during which the weekly average ground surface temperature exceeded this minimum germination temperature range (period available for germination) spanned from mid-June to mid-August. By simulating a warming scenario of 2 and 4 °C, we estimated that the onset of the period available for germination would advance by 1–2 and 2–3 weeks, respectively. Furthermore, our results suggest the possibility of autumn germination in the High Arctic region under future warming conditions.