Climate and plant life-history traits as drivers of seed germination niches

The interaction between climate and life-history traits shapes the ecological niches of flowering plants, particularly the germination stage. However, a global synthesis of how these factors influence germination niches across plant lineages has been lacking. This study aimed to determine the extent to which climate and life-history traits predict germination niche variation across angiosperms.

We compiled and analysed a newly assembled global dataset comprising ecological parameters of 1912 plant species. A phylogenetically informed Bayesian approach was used to quantify correlations between germination niche traits and life-history attributes. Additionally, we developed a climate model to examine whether the interaction between climate and life-history traits modulates germination-phase characteristics.

Climate was the strongest predictor of germination niche traits across species, indicating that angiosperms adapt their germination requirements to the prevailing climatic conditions. All tested life-history traits, except relative growth rate, showed significant correlations with germination niche dimensions. These results support the hypothesis that germination traits are evolutionarily aligned with species' ecological strategies and life cycles.

Our findings underscore the important role of climate in shaping germination niches globally and demonstrate that life-history strategies are closely linked to germination traits. These results highlight the need to consider germination niches in ecological forecasting and conservation planning under climate change scenarios.