Table 4— Seed stratification study: Percentage germination of conifer seed on treatment soil and potting mix 

 by species, treatment, and status. Each figure is the average of six replications of 25 seeds. Within 

 species, treatment, and status, means followed by different letters are significantly different at the 5 

 percent level using Duncan's multiple range test. For total percent germination, underlining 

 indicates no significant difference between this mean and the mean for the stratified control in the 

 right-hand column 



Treatment and soil type 



Bracken Sprayed 

 glade bracken Forested 

 Stratified 



Species 



Status^ 



Soil 



Mix 



Soil 



Mix 



Soil 



Mix 



control 



Subalpine fir 



Total germinated 



77.3= 



80.6= 



64.0= 



86.8= 



8.7" 



47.7= 



62.7 





Germinated and dead 



73.3= 



1.3" 



64.0= 



15.4" 



2.0= 



1.5= 





Engelmann spruce 



Total germinated 



14.0= 



16.8= 



2.0= 



4.0= 



0.0= 



10.0= 



32.9 





Germinated and dead 



0.0= 



0.7= 



0.7= 



0.0= 



0.0= 



1.3= 





Douglas-fir 



Total germinated 



46.0" 



86.3= 



38.7" 



76.6= 



4.0" 



25.6= 



78.7 





Germinated and dead 



35.3= 



0.0" 



28.7= 



0.0" 



0.7= 



0.7= 





Grand fir 



Total germinated 



66.7= 



71.3= 



71.3= 



81.1 = 



5.3" 



54.3= 



38.7 





Germinated and dead 



66.0= 



20.2" 



71.3= 



33.6" 



1.3= 



8.9= 





'Total germinated: average total germination regardless of whether seedlings lived or died. Germinated and dead: average 

 percentage of seeds that were dead when seed packets were opened. 



when seed packets were opened. This percentage is for 

 the number of seeds sown, not just those that germinated. 



The most noticeable difference in table 4 is the percent- 

 age of dead seedlings on the bracken fern soils compared 

 to potting mix soil. Most seed germinating on bracken soil 

 were dead when the seed packets were opened, whereas 

 most seed germinating on potting mix were alive. Ger- 



minants on both soil types had radicles up to 3 cm long, 

 displaying considerable germination energy, but seed on 

 native bracken soils died before shedding their seedcoats. 

 Radicles in bracken soils were shriveled and dark brown 

 (fig. 4). Germinants in potting mix treatments shed their 

 seedcoats and radicles extended into the potting mix (fig. 

 5), although some radicle tips were brown. 



Figure 4 — Seed from a seed packet stratified on 

 bracken soil. Seed died after radicle elongation 

 but before shedding seedcoats. 



Figure 5— Seed packet from the potting soil por- 

 tion of the seed stratification study. Note the 

 healthy radicles that have penetrated the mesh 

 seed packet. 



8 



