GIS-Derived Bioclimatic Profiles and Seed Germination Responses to Temperature in Three Protected Local Endemic Lamiaceae of Crete (Greece): Facilitating Integrated Conservation and Sustainable Utilization Strategies

Species-wise, this study focused on three local endemic plant species of Crete (Greece) protected by the Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981, namely Calamintha cretica, Micromeria hispida, and Teucrium cuneifolium (Lamiaceae). The species-specific bioclimatic conditions (temperature, precipitation) that characterize their natural habitats were determined to identify the requirements for successful natural seed germination, using distribution dot maps and open-source geodatabases in GIS (Geographic Information Systems). To facilitate their ex situ conservation, their seed germination was investigated at four different constant temperatures (10, 15, 20, and 25 °C) in growth chambers with a photoperiod of 12 h light/12 h dark. The results indicated that their seed germination requirements showed a range-specific temperature dependence, reflecting their adaptation to local ecological conditions. Specifically, the seeds of C. cretica showed the highest germination percentages at high temperatures (96.67% at 15 °C, 90.00% at 20 °C, and 93.33% at 25 °C). The highest germination percentages (58.33–63.33%) of M. hispida seeds were observed only at a temperature range of 10–20 °C and increasing the incubation temperature to 25 °C resulted in a significant decrease in the percentages of germinated seeds (9.17%). In T. cuneifolium seeds, the highest germination was observed at 15 °C. After their successful pilot pot cultivation, the present study paves the way for future conservation efforts through ex situ seed storage of different population samples and may accelerate their sustainable utilization in different economic sectors as potential novel crops sourced from the local biodiversity pool.