Prediction of soil seed bank of piedmont and alluvial environments of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract The current focus is on the overall pattern of seed storage present in the fragments of the soil of piedmont and alluvial landscapes of the environment. The present study predicted the seed banks of both soils of alluvial and piedmont zones in different ecological conditions and evaluate the potential of seeds in the restoration of both environments. The composition of the seed bank of soil is mainly affected by the alluvial environment and the structure of cleared area shows that more species of germinating annual grasses and growable seeds with the higher total number. Extant vegetation structures have an important role in the diversity of soil seed reservoirs, whose composition corresponded with the openness of the site. When in situ soil seed bank is recruited, it helps to restore only some components of the plant community in an alluvial environment. In our current research, it was confirmed that seed richness was higher in number at lower elevation (alluvial) than that at high elevation (piedmont). Seed richness showed a significant negative correlation with anions, cations, while significantly positive with altitude that suggests the richness pattern of the overall seed bank of the area is influenced by various environmental factors.

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Soil seed bank and vegetation dynamics in Sahelian fallows; the impact of past cropping and current grazing treatments

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467404001786 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 20 (6) ◽

pp. 683-691 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Bruno Hérault ◽

Pierre Hiernaux

Keyword(s):

Seed Bank ◽

Management Practices ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Residual Effects ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Phosphorus Fertilizer ◽

Wet Season ◽

Seed Extraction ◽

The Impact

The soil seed bank in a 5-y-old Sahelian fallow was studied through seed extraction and compared with germinations recorded either in controlled conditions, ex situ in a glasshouse, or in the field. The influence of phosphorus fertilizer and mulch application during the preceding crop period, and that of seasonal grazing regimes applied the last 2 y of fallowing, were assessed on the composition of the seed stock. Ctenium elegans, Fimbristylis hispidula, Merremia pinnata and Phyllanthus pentandrus accounted together for 75% of extracted seeds, 72% of ex situ, and 62% of in situ seedlings. Mulch treatment was correlated with the first axis of the canonical correspondence analyses performed on the seedling datasets. Mulch and phosphorus fertilizer treatments held similar responses, as they both favoured the seed bank of erect dicotyledons such as P. pentandrus and Cassia mimosoides. On the whole, the effects of grazing remained modest compared with the residual effects of past crop management practices. However, seedling densities increased as a result of dry-season grazing, while the soil seed bank decreased with wet-season grazing. Grazing also reduced the spatial heterogeneity of the seed bank rather than the overall number of species.

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Longevity of seeds and soil seed bank of the Cerrado tree Miconia chartacea (Melastomataceae)

Seed Science Research ◽

10.1017/s0960258515000173 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 386-394 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Diego F. Escobar E. ◽

Victor J. M. Cardoso

Keyword(s):

Seed Bank ◽

Low Temperatures ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Storage Time ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

High Water ◽

Ex Situ ◽

High Water Content ◽

Storage Test

AbstractMiconia chartacea is a widely distributed tree in Brazil, occurring at altitudes ranging from 300 m to 1900 m in the Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes. In this work we attempted to classify M. chartacea seeds regarding their behaviour during storage and their germination syndrome and to determine, from a storage test in Cerrado soil and laboratory conditions in situ and ex situ, the longevity of seeds, as well as the capacity of the species to form a soil seed bank. The results suggested that M. chartacea seeds form a transient soil seed bank in the Cerrado and can be classified as orthodox in terms of storage behaviour, although the seeds are dispersed with a relatively high water content. The life span of seeds was favoured in soil-stored seeds in comparison with dry storage at 25°C, whereas storage at low temperatures prevented a decrease of the seed's germinability with storage time (330 d). M. chartacea seeds are dispersed during the dry season and germinate during the next rainy season, which can be classified as an intermediate–dry germination syndrome. Seeds of this species are dispersed in the Cerrado when temperatures and soil moisture are relatively low, which favours the formation of a soil seed bank, considering that the seeds tolerate desiccation and their longevity is favoured by low temperatures. A transient seed bank type is favoured by the loss of viability in storage at warm temperatures linked to the rainy season, and the predictable seasonal variations in climate in the region, with germination being restricted to the beginning of the rainy season.

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Soil seed bank and seed dormancy in wild populations of lima bean (Fabaceae): considerations for in situ and ex situ conservation

American Journal of Botany ◽

10.3732/ajb.89.10.1644 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 89 (10) ◽

pp. 1644-1650 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

J. Degreef ◽

O. J. Rocha ◽

T. Vanderborght ◽

J.-P. Baudoin

Keyword(s):

Seed Dormancy ◽

Seed Bank ◽

Ex Situ Conservation ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Lima Bean ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Wild Populations

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Ludwigia peruviana (Onagraceae) in the Botany Wetlands near Sydney, Australia

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf9941481 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 45 (8) ◽

pp. 1481 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

SWL Jacobs ◽

F Perrett ◽

GR Sainty ◽

KH Bowmer ◽

BJ Jacobs

Keyword(s):

Seed Bank ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Management Plan ◽

Fresh Seed ◽

Controlled Environments ◽

Shrubby Species ◽

Germination And Growth ◽

Growth Experiments ◽

Sydney Australia

Ludwigia peruviana is an aquatic shrubby species introduced from the Americas and spreading to wetlands in coastal south-eastem Australia. It has become dominant, replacing much of the former vegetation in the Botany Wetlands, a series of shallow urban swamps and lakes near Sydney, Australia. Studies of L. peruviana were essential to the development of a management plan for the Botany Wetlands. Ecological studies were conducted in situ and supplemented by a series of germination and growth experiments in controlled environments. Flowering peaked in early autumn. Seed production for 1990-91 was ~ 450000 seeds m-2 and there was also ~ 65000 seeds m-2 in the soil seed bank and ~ 300000 seeds m-2 in old fruits that remained on the stems over winter. The seeds are ~ 0.8 mm long, weigh ~ 0.05 mg, are hydrophobic, usually germinate while afloat, and are easily dispersed by water, machinery and birds. Viability of fresh seed was 99% (tetrazolium dye test), and - 20% of seeds were dormant. Dormancy appeared to break down within two years. Propagation and dispersal may also occur by means of stem pieces that produce new shoots. New plants from seed, seedlings or stem fragments may become established on strand lines or form floating islands that may eventually become stranded. Management needs to focus on control of the seedlings and soil seed bank.

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Storage in cerrado soil and germination of Psychotria vellosiana (Rubiaceae) seeds

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842006000400015 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 66 (2b) ◽

pp. 709-717 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

C. G. Araújo ◽

V. J. M. Cardoso

Keyword(s):

Seed Bank ◽

Storage Time ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Seed Viability ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Ecological Aspects ◽

Different Depths ◽

Persistent Soil Seed Bank ◽

Viable Seeds

The regeneration of plant communities from seed depends, to a large extent, on the capacity of the seed remaining viable in the soil. The viability and germination of artificially buried Psychotria vellosiana seeds in cerrado soil were studied, with the purpose of discovering some physio-ecological aspects of dispersed seeds and evaluating their potential to constitute a soil seed bank. Seed samples were placed in nylon envelopes and buried in the soil of a Cerrado reserve at two different depths and sites. Buried seeds were retrieved periodically and tested for germination along with dry-stored seeds. In general, there was a reduction in seed germination with storage time, both in soil and dry stored conditions, and in some assays exhumed seeds germinated faster than dry stored ones. In general the soil storage favoured seed viability of ungerminated seeds as compared to dry stored ones, with the seeds remaining partially viable after 10 months of storage. The lack of germination of viable seeds suggests that seeds showed true dormancy and/or required an extended time to germinate. It was observed that some seeds had germinated while buried and such in situ germination tended to increase with rainfall. The water availability in the soil might be a limiting factor for successful germination of P. vellosiana in the field, and the seeds may constitute a persistent soil seed bank in the cerrado as dispersed seeds remain viable in the soil until the following period of seed dispersal.

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Soil Seed Bank of a Jack Pine (Pinus Banksiana) Ecosystem

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf9980067 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 67 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

CA Whittle ◽

LC Duchesne ◽

T Needham

Keyword(s):

Seed Bank ◽

Pinus Banksiana ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Plant Succession ◽

Pteridium Aquilinum ◽

Soil Cores

The soil seed bank (seed and vegetative propagules) of a jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) ecosystem was investigated using direct propagule emergence from soil cores in greenhouse experiments, and visual examination of rhizome/rooting systems in situ. Of the 985 emergents observed from soil cores 643 (65%) originated from seeds whereas 342 (35%) arose from rhizomes. Grasses and sedge comprised 89% of the seed emergents while shrubs comprised 75% of the vegetative emergents. In situ examination of root systems revealed that Linnaea borealis L., Carex houghtonii Torr., Gaultheria procumbens L., and Maianthemum canadense Desf. had rhizomes buried at or above the duff/mineral interface while Lycopodium obscurum L., Lycopodium complanatum L. and Pteridium aquilinum L. (Kuhn) were predominately buried within the upper- layers of mineral soil. All other vegetatively reproducing species examined, with the exception of Rubus alleghaniensis Porter, had rhizomes buried deeper than 25 cm into mineral soil. Rubus allegheniensis (reproductive roots) had no discrete area of burial and were located in duff, upper mineral, and deep mineral soil. Depth of burial of reproductive material is used to explain plant succession after disturbance.

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