Latitudinal Influence on Sea Oats Germination and Stress Tolerance

The project aims to enhance the functionality of Florida’s coastal dune habitats by developing methods to assess the impact of climate change on ecotypic differences in sea oats. The objectives are to: (1) characterize differences in germination ecology and thermal limits across the North American distribution of sea oats; (2) verify disparities in seed vigor and the physiology of vigor across the Gulf and Atlantic ranges; and (3) identify thermal tolerances of sea oats genotypes collected in vitro from these regions. The research involves harvesting sea oats seeds from 14 populations ranging from New Jersey to Louisiana.

Understanding differences in seed and vegetative traits across a broad geographic area will provide a scientific basis for refining seed collection and plant production guidelines in response to climate change. The findings will help producers develop better seed collection, propagation, and seedling production schedules. Re-vegetation practitioners can use the information to improve direct seeding activities. Additionally, the research will contribute to the field of seed biology by exploring local adaptation in terms of dormancy, germination, and seed vigor.