Tolerance to freezing temperatures may be an important factor in the regeneration ecology of winterfat (Ceratoides lanata (Pursh) J.T. Howell). Therefore, growth and freezing tolerance of winterfat seedlings were determined after being grown under different controlled temperatures for 7, 14, 21, or 28 days. Growth of seedlings was greater under day temperatures of 15 and 20 degrees C relative to 5 and 10 degrees C. Freezing tolerance of seedlings was dependent on seedling age and growth conditions. Younger seedlings were more freezing tolerant than older ones grown under the same environmental conditions. Seedlings grown under lower temperatures were more freezing tolerant than those grown under higher temperatures. The lowest observed lethal temperature for 50% mortality (LT50) was -11.8 degrees C for 7-day old seedlings grown under 10/0 degrees C alternating temperatures, and the highest LT50 was about -5 degrees C for seedlings 28 days of age when grown under 29/1 degrees C. Based on seedbed temperatures in the field, the results suggest that freezing temperatures may indeed limit the establishment of winterfat seedlings on Northern Mixed Prairie. Seedbeds with litter accumulations or standing dead plant material may ameliorate low temperature extremes and reduce mortality of winterfat seedlings. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.