seed count and mass measurement

Knowledge graph centered on seed count and mass measurement with 76 nodes and 201 connections. Top connected: Hummingbird, Bombus, Ipomopsis, Ligusticum porteri, Delphinium.

Method synopsis

Comprehensive evaluation of seed production including total fruit counts, viable seed counts per fruit, individual seed mass measurements, and visual/physical viability assessment. Combines quantitative and qualitative metrics of reproductive success.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 28 papers using this protocol.

Procedure from a recent peer-reviewed implementation

Steps below were extracted from the most recent peer-reviewed implementation of this protocol in the corpus — Wind-driven seed dispersal differentially promotes seed trapping and retention across alpine plants (2026), American Journal of Botany. The protocol was originally introduced by Consequences of Pollination Neighborhood Composition and Pollinator Communities (2014). Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Measure seed functional traits
   Measured five seed functional traits (length, width, thickness, pappus length, and dry mass) for six species: Agoseris glauca, Elymus lanceolatus, Eremogone congesta, Eriogonum umbellatum, Heterotheca villosa, and Senecio crassulus. Used protocols of Pérez-Harguindeguy et al. (2013). For seeds with pappus, measured average length of three arbitrarily chosen pappi per seed. Measured morphological traits using ImageJ software from images captured with Leica dissecting microscope. Removed pappi and dried seeds at 70-80°C for at least 3 days, then weighed individually to nearest 0.001 mg.
   Quantities: 100 seeds per species measured for all traits, from 10 plants per speciesDuration: Not specifiedConditions: Seeds dried at 70-80°C
   Equipment: Leica dissecting microscope, ImageJ software, analytical balance (0.001 mg precision)

Typical Equipment

• green mesh jewelry bags
• precision balance
• coin envelopes

Output Measurements

• seed mass
• total fruit count
• viable seed count
• seed viability

Papers Using This Protocol (28)

Species Studied With This Protocol