| Abstract |
Dry tropical woodlands are ecologically and socio-economically important but increasingly affected by climate change and unsustainable land use. Natural regeneration is constrained by seed predation, poor seed germination, seedling browsing, and harsh environmental conditions, which limit seedling recruitment and survival. Assisted regeneration may enhance dryland carbon sequestration, but its success depends on species-specific ecological knowledge. This study evaluated germination, seedling development, and survival of seven socio-economically important tree species native to Southern Africa: Pterocarpus angolensis, Guibourtia coleosperma, Baikiaea plurijuga, Burkea africana, Colophospermum mopane, Sterculia africana and Terminalia prunioides. The experimental treatments were evaluated across various seed ages, soil media, sowing depths, seasons, and microbial inoculation levels at Mopane and Baikiaea woodland sites in Namibia. Soil media had no significant effect on germination across species, whereas seeding depth influenced germination, with B. plurijuga and T. prunioides showing higher germination when sown at shallow depths. Seed age had species-specific effects. Older seeds germinated better in C. mopane, whereas freshly collected seeds performed better in G. coleosperma, B. plurijuga, and P. angolensis. Seasons also affected T. prunioides and G. coleosperma, with higher germination during the rainy season, while B. plurijuga, P. angolensis, and S. africana germinated under dry season conditions. Although microbial inoculation did not significantly enhance seedling growth, it significantly improved seedling survival in B. africana. Overall, these findings highlight species-specific requirements for nursery protocols, seed storage, and scalable assisted regeneration strategies, contributing to effective dryland forest management, restoration and carbon sequestration initiatives. |
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