Near-infrared spectroscopy-based models correctly classify Abies alba seed origin and predict germination properties

IF 3.7 2区农林科学 Q1 FORESTRY

Forest Ecology and Management Pub Date : 2025-08-28 DOI:10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123068

Jeanne Poughon , Camille Lepoittevin , Eduardo Vicente , Marion Carme , Georgeta Mihai , Francisco Lario Leza , Andrea Piotti , Camilla Avanzi , Maurizio Marchi , Giovanni Giuseppe Vendramin , Caroline Scotti-Saintaigne , Bruno Fady , Caroline Teyssier , Marta Benito Garzón

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Forestry industry requires high-quantity and quality seeds for afforestation and assisted migration programs. Finding reliable non-destructive methods to characterize seeds would significantly enhance efforts to identify climate-adapted populations. This study presents near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy models to classify seed origin and predict germination characteristics at different temperatures non-destructively. We focus on Abies alba Mill., a key European forest tree with genetic variation along climatic gradients and seeds with shallow physiological dormancy. Seeds from six populations were analyzed using NIR spectroscopy, and germination was tested at 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C after stratification treatments at 4°C (0 or 3 weeks). Population classification accuracy using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis was 69 %, with contributing NIR absorbance peaks at 1712, 1929, and 2111 nm, linked to moisture content and storage compounds. NIR spectra explained 51 % and 65 % of the variation in germination probability and timing using Partial Least Squares Regression, with contributing peaks at 1712, 1929, 2111, 1632, and 2073 nm. General Linear Mixed-Effects Models showed that NIR absorbances (processed using a Principal Component Analysis to reduce dimensionality) contributed to 39 % of the germination probability variance explained by fixed-effects, and the stratification treatment was the most important driver explaining germination time. Our results proved the utility of NIR-based tools to effectively classify bulked seeds and predict germination, opening new perspectives to nursery and forestry sectors and populations’ adaptation and adjustments to warming climate. This study will facilitate further investigations on the physiological processes that occur during dormancy, a critical process for forest regeneration given the expected impact of shorter and warmer winters on seed behavior.

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基于近红外光谱的模型可以正确地分类白冷杉种子来源并预测萌发特性

林业需要大量优质的种子用于造林和辅助迁移项目。找到可靠的非破坏性方法来鉴定种子将大大加强确定适应气候的种群的努力。本文提出了一种近红外（NIR）光谱模型，用于种子来源分类和不同温度下萌发特性的无损预测。我们专注于冷杉。这是一种主要的欧洲森林树种，具有沿气候梯度的遗传变异，种子具有较浅的生理休眠。对6个群体的种子进行近红外光谱分析，并在4°C（0或3周）分层处理后，在15°C、20°C和25°C下检测萌发。偏最小二乘判别分析的种群分类精度为69 %，贡献的近红外吸收峰位于1712、1929和2111 nm，与水分含量和储存化合物有关。利用偏最小二乘回归，近红外光谱解释了萌发概率和时间变化的51 %和65 %，贡献峰分别位于1712、1929、2111、1632和2073 nm处。一般线性混合效应模型表明，近红外吸收（使用主成分分析进行降维处理）对固定效应解释的发芽概率方差贡献了39% %，分层处理是解释发芽时间的最重要驱动因素。我们的研究结果证明了基于nir的工具在有效分类散装种子和预测发芽方面的实用性，为苗圃和林业部门以及人口对气候变暖的适应和调整开辟了新的视角。这项研究将有助于进一步研究休眠期间发生的生理过程，鉴于预期的更短和更温暖的冬季对种子行为的影响，休眠是森林更新的关键过程。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Forest Ecology and Management 农林科学-林学

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

10.80%

发文量

665

审稿时长

39 days

期刊介绍： Forest Ecology and Management publishes scientific articles linking forest ecology with forest management, focusing on the application of biological, ecological and social knowledge to the management and conservation of plantations and natural forests. The scope of the journal includes all forest ecosystems of the world. A peer-review process ensures the quality and international interest of the manuscripts accepted for publication. The journal encourages communication between scientists in disparate fields who share a common interest in ecology and forest management, bridging the gap between research workers and forest managers. We encourage submission of papers that will have the strongest interest and value to the Journal''s international readership. Some key features of papers with strong interest include: 1. Clear connections between the ecology and management of forests; 2. Novel ideas or approaches to important challenges in forest ecology and management; 3. Studies that address a population of interest beyond the scale of single research sites, Three key points in the design of forest experiments, Forest Ecology and Management 255 (2008) 2022-2023); 4. Review Articles on timely, important topics. Authors are welcome to contact one of the editors to discuss the suitability of a potential review manuscript. The Journal encourages proposals for special issues examining important areas of forest ecology and management. Potential guest editors should contact any of the Editors to begin discussions about topics, potential papers, and other details.