Ecological restoration has become a critical component of preservation and management
of prairie remnants in Washington State. Active restoration projects typically require
production of large quantities of native plant materials, and largescale plant production
requires provision of appropriate germination conditions for many species of native plants. We tested 31 native Washington prairie plant species for germination requirements
including afterripening and combinations of stratification and germination temperature. 24 of the species tested germinated in sufficient numbers for analysis; one and twoway
fixedeffects ANOVAs were used to determine treatment and interaction effects. Partial
tests were conducted when less than 2000 seeds of a species were available (collected). Species that showed low germination under all treatments were tested for viability with
tetrazolium. Study species exhibited a variety of germination strategies, and, for presentation purposes, have been grouped based on pretreatment yielding the highest
germination rate. Although the effects of germination temperature were often not
statistically significant, we observed generally higher seedling survival and vigor under
cool germination temperatures.
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