Fundamentación Científica

The negative impacts of glass petri dishes and high temperatures leading to growth of fungi, algae and germinant mortality due to overheating in the dishes, particularly those with water were included in all of the data analyses as confounding factors. The data analysis of these pot trials was used as a comparative tool to assess the detrimental effect of the glass petri dish for analysis of cotyledon emergence results.

7 of the 10 species tested had three or more seed sources from different habitat types. Analysis at Day 10 showed a significant difference in the germination rates of seed from different habitat types for five of the six species that had commenced germination. The significant difference in germination due to the fixed effect of habitat continued for the duration of the trial for nearly all species, to final analysis at Day 39.

When compared to all other species trialled, E. paucifloro was slow to germinate. A. decurrens showed treatment and habitat differences at Day 25, prior to extreme

temperatures, but this difference was not apparent at the final count, however the two- way interaction of treatment and habitat appeared as moderately significant (P<0.05).

Treatment was also a highly significant effect during the trial, mainly due to the effect of the medium salinity treatment which significantly retarded the onset of germination and the final proportion of germinants. The medium salinity treatment was found to be a significant factor in determining germination rates at for all species (P<0.001) apart from C. stricto, which showed no significant difference in germination due to treatment at the end of the trial. E. oggregata and E. blakelyi also showed no significant differences in

germination response to treatment at the final count, but the onset of germination was delayed by the medium salinity treatment (P<0.001).

All treatments impacted on germination to some degree, at some point in the trial, with final germination of < 0.08 in most cases. E. ovata was a notable exception with

germination over 0.9.

Treatment was a significant factor in the final germination for A. melanoxylon, E. paucifloro, C. littorolis and E. dives (P<0.001). There were significant differences in radicle protrusion

according to habitat type for all species as mentioned above, with a moderately significant interaction between habitat type and treatment for the full model (P<0.05).

Table 10 lists all of the significant factors and interactions (P<0.05 or P<0.001). The results for radicle protrusion at Day 10 show significant differences in germination found within each individual species and, the full model shows significant differences for analysis of all species together. Treatment is a significant factor for germination results of all species except E. pauciflora, which had not commenced germination by this date and also not significant for A. decurrens at that time between its two saline habitats. Habitat was a significant factor for A. melanoxylon, E. ovata, E. dives, L. flavescens and C. stricto.

At Day 10, A. melanoxylon showed a two-way interaction between treatment and habitat, meaning that there were consistent significant differences in the germination response to treatment, based on habitat type.

At Day 10, when the full model is analysed, there was also a significant two-way interaction for treatment and habitat. This is maintained throughout the trial, which clearly

demonstrates there is a significant difference in germination in response to treatments for salinity and waterlogging, based on seed source habitat.

Table 10. Statistically Significant Differences in Germination

Species H a b ita t Types S ignificant Factors & In te ra ctio n s

R adicle P ro tru sio n a t D av 10

Acacia melanoxylon D W T re a tm e n t + H ab itat +

T re a tm e n t.H a b ita t

Eucalyptus ovate D DA LS MS W T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Eucalyptus pauciflora D DA HS MS W W A no g e rm in a tio n

Casuarina littoralis D DA HS LS MS W W A T re a tm e n t

Acacia d ecu r re ns HS LS no d ifferen ce s

Eucalyptus dives DA LS MS W T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Leptospermum flavescens DA MS W A T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Casuarina stricta D MS H a b ita t

Eucalyptus aggregata MS T re a tm e n t

Eucalyptus blakelyi LS T re a tm e n t

All species - fu ll m o d el A ll o f th e ab o ve T re a tm e n t.H a b ita t R adicle P ro tru sio n a t D av 25

Acacia melanoxylon D W T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Eucalyptus ovate D DA LS MS W T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Eucalyptus pauciflora D DA HS MS W W A T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Casuarina littoralis D DA HS LS MS W W A T re a tm e n t + T re a tm e n t.H a b ita t

Acacia decurrens HS LS T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Eucalyptus dives DA LS MS W T re a tm e n t

Leptospermum flavescens DA MS W A H a b ita t

Casuarina stricta D MS H a b ita t

Eucalyptus aggregata MS no d ifferen ce s

Eucalyptus blakelyi LS no d ifferen ce s

All species - fu ll m o d el All o f th e ab o ve T re a tm e n t.H a b ita t Radicle P ro tru sio n a t D av 39

Acacia melanoxylon D W T re a tm e n t + H ab itat +

T re a tm e n t.H a b ita t

Eucalyptus ovate D DA LS MS W H a b ita t

Eucalyptus pauciflora D DA HS MS W W A T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Casuarina littoralis D DA HS LS MS W W A T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Acacia decurrens HS LS T re a tm e n t.H a b ita t

Eucalyptus dives DA LS MS W T re a tm e n t + H ab itat

Leptospermum flavescens DA MS W A H a b ita t

Casuarina stricta D MS H a b ita t

Eucalyptus aggregata MS no d ifferen ce s

Eucalyptus blakelyi LS no d ifferen ce s