Effects of foliage-shading and seed burial-depth on seed
germination
Microclimate in simulated natural habitats
Cue period microclimate variables were constrained by the factors room
and exposure in the minimum adequate RDA, and notably not by seed
burial-depth or species (r2=0.88, Fig. 2). Exposure
had the greatest influence on the microclimate RDA (df=1, F=262.15,
p<0.001), room had more variance (df=3, F=144.
P<0.001). Unsurprisingly, compartments with higher thermostat
temperature thresholds (Table 3) were clustered with higher mean and
minimum temperatures. These clusters did not include variables relating
to extremes i.e., maximum temperatures, temperature ranges and soil
surface values (for temperature and light). These were clustered
separately and correspond to exposed microclimates. Shaded microclimates
varied less than exposed, hence the different shapes of ellipses in Fig.
2.