Effect of seasonality and light levels on seed germination of the invasive tree Maesopsis eminii in Amani Nature Forest Reserve, Tanzania

Studies on germination behavior are important tools for understanding how environmental factors affect geographic distribution and colonization of invasive plants. Particularly seedlings of invasive plant species benefit from high light intensity, as often found in disturbed areas of low canopy cover. We investigated the effect of various shade levels on seed germination and early growth of the invasive tree Maesopsis eminii at the nursery of a biodiversity hotspot, the Amani Nature Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Shade houses provided forest-like sun flecks of four categories (0%, 50%, 65% and 85% shade), representing light regimes found in tropical natural forests throughout the entire growing season. The average germination rate across the four different shade levels differed significantly during the dry season (F3,12 = 48.74, P