Germination in declining and common herbaceous plant populations co-occurring in an acid peaty heathland

Antennaria dioica, Arnica montana, Filago minima, Galium saxatile, Nardus stricta and Viola canina are herbaceous plant species in The Netherlands which are declining and even locally extinct. The germination biology of freshly collected seeds of these species was studied in relation to constant and alternating temperatures and was compared with that of some common co-occurring plant species. It is concluded that germination responses with respect to temperatures are unlikely to account for their declining situation.