S.I. : SEEDS Seed ecology of Saxifraga italica: effects of light, temperature and gibberellic acid Valter Di Cecco & Michele Di Musciano & Anna Rita Frattaroli & Luciano Di Martino Received: 14 September 2018 /Revised: 29 May 2019 /Accepted: 6 July 2019 # Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic 2019 Abstract Knowledge about seed germination ecology is necessary for development of protocols for in ex situ conservation and in situ restoration of rare species. Here we investigate the effect of temperature, light, GA3 and cold storage in the germination niche of Saxifraga italica (Saxifragaceae), and endemic species of Central Apennines (Italy). Several temperatures, both in dark and light conditions, and the effect of pre-chilling (60 days at 5°C) were investigated. Light was varied by changing photon flux, both in intensity and duration. The intensity of light was tested from 1.28 to 26.87 μmol (photon)·m -2 ·s -1 , and pre-treatment with light was car- ried out by exposing seeds for 1, 2, 4, 8, 24 and 48 h at the beginning of the germination test. Finally, the effects of GA 3 at two different concentrations. 250 ppm and 500 ppm, was tested. The results show that the species under study produce small non-dormant seeds germi- nating only with long-term light stimulation or with GA 3 . The requirement for light could be substituted by gibberellins but not by pre-chilling, as this species ger- minating only when on the soil surface was exposed to light and without competition. Thus, in accordance with the species distribution and life strategies, the germination niche highlights that for this species light is a fundamental factor promoting germination. Keywords Endemic species . Morpho-colourimetric analysis . Photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) . Photoblastic seeds . Seed germination niche Introduction Knowledge of rare species’ life-cycles and reproductive traits is essential in identifying limits to population growth and persistence (Bevill and Louda 1999), espe- cially in threatened wild species. In the context of cli- mate change, many species have shifted their upper distribution limit upslope in response to recent temper- ature rises, leading to increasing species competition to the detriment of threatened and rare species (Pauli et al. 2012). Greater efforts should thus be made to improve the conservation strategies for Mediterranean mountain species, considering that the survival of endemic and threatened species is based on different and complemen- tary conservation approaches and techniques (IUCN 2017). Ex situ conservation and in situ reintroduction represent effective strategies to increase the populations of rare or endangered plants and to improve the links of species with disrupted distribution areas (Bowes 1999). Development of germination protocols, in particular for species less studied and characterized by small popula- tions, could be an important step in this direction (Frattaroli et al. 2013). Folia Geobot https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-019-09352-5 V. Di Cecco : L. Di Martino Majella Seed Bank, Majella National Park, Loc. Colle Madonna, Lama dei Peligni, CH, Italy V. Di Cecco : M. Di Musciano (*) : A. R. Frattaroli Department of Life, Health & Environmental Science, University of L ’Aquila, Coppito, L ’Aquila, Italy e-mail: michele.dimusciano@graduate.univaq.it