Relationship between germination and seed size in alpine shrubs in Tibetan Plateau

Seed germination is related to seed size in many herbs species,but few studies investigated the relationship between germination and seed size in shrubs. we examined the correlation of seed size and germination percentage,germination rate and germination persistence time for 29 alpine shrubs in the eastern qinghai-tibetan plateau,china. results showed that seed size was significant negatively correlated with coefficients of variation (r = -0.709,p<0.001),with germination percentage (r = -0.682,p<0.001),and with germination rate (r = -0.512,p=0.004). coefficients of variation was significant positively correlated with germination percentage (r = 0.525,p=0.003) and germination rate (r = 0.522,p=0.004). it revealed that the smaller-seeded species present a bigger variance in seed size than the larger-seeded species. smaller-seeded species were apt to fast and concentrative germination strategy,but,larger-seeded species were apt to slow and stochastic germination strategy. it appears that smaller-seeded species advance their germination fitness by adaptive variance of seed size.