Andrew Kaul, Ph.D.
Restoration Scientist
Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development
Research Interests
• Seed-based restoration
• Restoration ecology
• Native seed industry
Meg Engelhardt, M.Sc.
Seed Bank Manager
Horticulture Division
Research Interests
• Seed-based restoration
• Ex-situ conservation through seed banking
Sensitivity of seed viability estimates to assessment methodology and seed traits. Kaul is a Restoration Scientist interested in plant community ecology, focusing on restoration of Midwestern US prairies, woodlands, and forests. Engelhardt is MBG’s Seed Bank Manager; she is interested in ex-situ plant conservation through seed banking. Both wild-collected and commercially produced seeds vary in quality and viability, with some portion of each collection comprised of empty or non-viable seeds, which do not contain a live embryo and thus cannot produce a mature plant. Assessing the quality and viability of a seed collection quickly and accurately is a high priority for native seed producers, seed banks, and land managers that collect and sow seed from wild populations. Additionally, in scientific experiments, seed additions are commonly applied to assess how species’ abundances are limited by dispersal. However, such studies often do not account for variation in seed viability. Seed quality can be assessed quickly with non-destructive x-ray scans that visualize which seeds contain an embryo. Seed viability is measured using chemical stains or germination trials, but estimates of germinability are lower than chemical estimates of viability when some seeds are alive but remain dormant. Thus, the results of chemical tests indicate the amount of viable seeds in a sample that are capable of producing normal plants under suitable germination conditions. Germination trials can take many weeks, but chemical tests only take a couple days. The broadest goals of this project are to 1) quantify variability in estimates of seed viability and germinability based on assessment methodology, and 2) evaluate under which conditions seed quality and viability become decoupled over time. The student will work to develop an independent project pertaining to methods for assessing seed viability. Example research questions related to this topic could address how quickly seed viability declines with age during storage, or if the rate of decline is strongly related to taxonomic grouping, seed traits (ex. seed mass, dormancy type), or handling and storage methods. For example, seeds stored for long periods in airtight containers made of glass or plastic may have reduced viability. The student will conduct seed viability testing on accessions of wild-collected seeds housed at the MBG seed bank at Shaw Nature Reserve. They will also incorporate germinability trials using growth chambers and will measure seed traits. It is possible for the student participating in this project to receive co-authorship on a publication resulting from this work.