scholarly journals Edaphic and Seasonal Heterogeneity of Seed Banks in Agricultural Fields of a Tropical Dry Forest Region in Southern Mexico

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge A. Meave ◽  
Claudia Flores-Rodríguez ◽  
Eduardo A. Pérez-García ◽  
Marco Antonio Romero-Romero
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Black Soil ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Agricultural Fields ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Soil Cores ◽  
Southern Mexico

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The slash-and-burn agriculture practiced across tropical dry regions results in the elimination of native vegetation. Upon field abandonment, the seed bank becomes a potentially important mechanism of natural regeneration at early successional stages. Soil properties and climate seasonality may affect seed bank characteristics, thus we analyzed the effects of these two factors on seed bank density and composition in agricultural fields of a seasonally dry tropical region of southern Mexico. Soil cores were collected for the rainy and the dry seasons in order to assess changes occurring in the seed bank from the time of harvest to the moment when succession could potentially start (the next rainy season). The 12 studied fields comprised three different soil types recognized by local inhabitants: sandy and stony, silty, and clayey soils, locally known as cascajo, black soil, and red soil, respectively. At each fi eld 20 soil cores (8 cm diameter, 4.5 cm depth) were collected and mixed to form four pooled samples, which were placed in a greenhouse to induce germination. A total of 4,422 seedlings (2,291 seeds m<sup>-2</sup>) representing 40 species were recorded. The most abundant species were, in decreasing order, <em>Melanthera nivea</em>, <em>Rhynchelytrum repens</em>, <em>Waltheria indica</em>, <em>Amaranthus scariosus</em>, <em>Digitaria bicornis</em>, and <em>Cenchrus pilosus</em>. Herbs were the prevailing growth form (&gt; 80% of total richness). No clear pattern was observed in the seed bank related to soil type; however, seed bank characteristics tended to be associated with the time of use of the agricultural fields, a variable that was not controlled in the study. Seed bank species richness was significantly larger in the dry season, and although seed density showed a similar trend, it was not significant. The studied seed banks contain no elements of the regional primary tropical dry forest, which suggests that seed banks in deforested areas cannot guarantee their maintenance beyond forested areas.</span></p>

Relationships between soil seed bank composition and standing vegetation along chronosequences in a tropical dry forest in north-eastern Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 173-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Melo Gomes ◽  
Clemir Candeia de Oliveira ◽  
Roberta da Rocha Miranda ◽  
Rafael Carvalho da Costa ◽  
Maria Iracema Bezerra Loiola
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
High Dispersal ◽  
Standing Vegetation

AbstractTo better understand the role of seed banks in ecological succession of dry forests, we compared similarities between vegetation and seed banks and assessed the relative contributions of seed dispersal and persistence in chronosequences in the Brazilian semi-arid region. To sample the standing vegetation and the seed bank, we collected data in three sites with three successional ages in each one (5 y, 25 y and 45 y). A total of 180 soil samples (three sites × three successional ages × 10 plots × two components) were collected. The composition of the seed bank was assessed by the seedling emergence method. Of 166 species identified in the standing vegetation, only 50 (30.1%) were also present in the seed bank, resulting in low similarity (Jaccard index = 0.02–0.21) and reflecting the rarity of woody species and the dominance of annuals (71% of richness). The relative importance of seed persistence and seed dispersal to seed banks composition were balanced in most cases (difference was not rejected in four out six comparisons). Those results suggest that seed banks in tropical dry forests are largely the result of high dispersal rates and the persistence of allochthonous annual species that contribute to decoupling seed bank and vegetation composition.

Effect of different treatments on the seed bank of grazed and ungrazed Baltic seashore meadows

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 1188-1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heli M. Jutila b. Erkkilä
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Brackish Water ◽  
Salt Water ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Cold Treatment ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
The West ◽  
Pesticide Treatment ◽  
Juncus Gerardii

Seed banks of two seashore meadows were studied on the west coast of Finland (latitude 61°30'-61°33'N, longitude 21°28'-21°41'E). Samples were taken in June to a depth of 10 cm in the geolittoral zone of the grazed and ungrazed transects. The grazed samples were halved lengthwise: one half was grown immediately, the other after cold treatment. One third of the all samples was treated as controls, one third was watered with brackish water, and one third was given a pesticide treatment. Altogether, 13 926 seedlings germinated and 25 species were identified (three annuals, two biennials, and the rest perennials). Most seedlings were perennial monocots, with Juncus gerardii Loisel. the most abundant species. The seed bank was significantly larger and richer in the ungrazed site than in the grazed site. Cold treatment reduced the number of germinating species and seedlings. In the grazed and non-cold-treated samples, the numbers of species and seedlings were highest in the pesticide treatment. In ungrazed samples there were no significant differences among treatments. After the cold treatment, the least number of species and seedlings was produced by the salt-water treatment. Changing brackish water to tap water led to a burst of germination, especially of J. gerardii. The seed bank of the upper geolittoral zone was richer than that of the middle geolittoral. The multivariate classification and ordination groupings are based on the abundances of J. gerardii and Glaux maritima L.; different treatments were not distinguishable. There was a low resemblance between the seed bank and the aboveground vegetation.Key words: seed bank, salinity, pesticide, seashore meadow, cold treatment, vegetation.

scholarly journals Mammals in tropical dry forest on the central coast of Oaxaca, Mexico

Check List ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Briones-Salas ◽  
Natalia Martín-Regalado ◽  
Mario C. Lavariega
Keyword(s):  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Central Coast ◽  
Semideciduous Forest ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Mammal Diversity

The tropical dry forests of Mexico are one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. To contribute to the knowledge of mammal diversity and conservation of the central coast of Oaxaca State, southern Mexico, we conducted field surveys in the area. Additional information was obtained from literature and museum databases. In order to compare the taxonomic similitude between areas along the Planicie Costera del Pacífico province we performed a taxonomic similarity analysis using data from the literature and the present study. A total of 49 species of mammals belonging to 19 families and eight orders were recorded. The maximum number of species was recorded in deciduous forest (n = 46), followed by semideciduous forest (n = 11). The similarity index was low (<50%) between areas along the Planicie costera del Pacífico, indicating higher species turnover. The high mammal diversity, the presence of endemic (8%), threatened species (16%), and voluntary conservation areas highlight the importance of this region.

Dynamics in the emergence of dormant and non-dormant herbaceous species from the soil seed bank from a Brazilian dry forest

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Djalma de Souza ◽  
Bruno Ayron de Souza Aguiar ◽  
Danielle Melo dos Santos ◽  
Vanessa Kelly Rodrigues de Araujo ◽  
Júlia Arruda Simões ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Herbaceous Species ◽  
Physical Dormancy ◽  
Soil Seed Banks ◽  
Interspecific Differences

Abstract Aims In dry tropical forests, herbaceous species may have dormancy mechanisms and form persistent and transient seed banks in the soil. Evolutionarily acquired, these mechanisms are efficient for the establishment and survival of these herbs, especially in forests with unpredictable climates, such as the Caatinga. Thus, our objective was to verify whether the studied herbaceous species adopt the physical dormancy mechanism and how these natural barriers are overcome, to understand the temporal dynamics existing in the soil seed bank from a Brazilian dry tropical forest. Methods Seeds of five native herbaceous species from the Caatinga forests were selected and submitted to pre-germinative treatments for verifying the presence of physical dormancy. We collected soil samples in the rainy and dry seasons for four consecutive years and monitored the emergence of the selected herbaceous in the greenhouse. We verified the differences in germination and seed bank emergence in the soil by generalized linear models. Important Findings The presence and absence of physical dormancy were observed in seeds from Caatinga herbaceous species. We found intraspecific and interspecific differences in the herbaceous emergence from soil seed banks between years and climatic seasons. In perennial herbs, consecutive lack of emergence between seasons and years was frequent, which suggests a direct relationship with the mechanism of physical dormancy and the environmental conditions necessary to overcome integument barriers. In these species, seed dimorphism and dormancy may confer additional advantages to their survival. Moreover, presenting intermediate levels of physical dormancy in an annual species may be an evolutionary adjustment to rainfall unpredictability. In contrast, we found that the annual herb without dormancy is more sensitive to seasonal and interannual climate changes, as evidenced by the increase and significant reduction of its emergence in the soil seed bank. These differences acquired evolutionarily are advantageous for the establishment of herbaceous populations, mainly in semiarid regions with an unpredictable climate.

Seed Banks in Savanna, Forest Fragments, and Continuous Forest Edges Differ in a Tropical Dry Forest in Madagascar

Biotropica ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 435-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Valenta ◽  
Travis S. Steffens ◽  
Radoniaina R. Rafaliarison ◽  
Colin A. Chapman ◽  
Shawn M. Lehman
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Continuous Forest

Seed-bank contributions to regeneration of shrub species after clear-cutting and burning

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Morgan ◽  
L. F. Neuenschwander
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Seed Density ◽  
Shrub Species ◽  
Clear Cutting

Seed banks contributed significantly to regeneration of early seral shrubs after clear-cutting and fall broadcast burning of dense coniferous forests of the Thuja plicata/Clintonia uniflora habitat type in northern Idaho. Seeds were separated from 36 samples of soil and surface organic matter from 15 uncut forest stands. Total seed density averaged 1151 ± 1896 seeds/m2, and seed density for individual shrub species ranged from 1 ± 3 to 690 ± 1728 seeds/m2. Canopy cover of the "obligate" seed bank species, such as Ceanothus sanguineus and Prunus emarginata, was low or nonexistent in uncut forests, seed constancy and density in seed bank were high, and seedling regeneration on 2-year-old burns was abundant. Species that were "non-reliant" on seed banks, including Symphoricarpos albus and Rosa gymnocarpa, resprouted and no seedlings were found after burning. Response of "opportunistic" seed-bank species such as Rubus parviflorus and Rubus ursinus was intermediate; both seedling and sprout regeneration occurred after cutting and burning. These species existed in uncut stands both in the seed bank and in the understory. Burn severity affected germination and (or) seedling survival of Ceanothus sanguineus. Its percent canopy cover was greater on high-severity than on low-severity 2-year-old burns.

The paradox of berry production in temperate species of Vaccinium

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. Vander Kloet ◽  
N. M. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Soil Column ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Soil Cores ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
Buried Seeds ◽  
Avalon Peninsula

Vegetative cover, fruiting phenology, and seed production was estimated from six Vaccinia heathlands on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland so that the efficacy of the Vaccinium seed bank could be ascertained. Out of the six species of Vaccinium present in this vegetation, only V. angustifolium and V. boreale were recovered from 120 soil cores taken; V. uliginosum and V. vitis-idaea, two of the most common species on these heaths, were not represented in the seed bank at all, yet experimentally buried seeds from both these taxa will successfully germinate when exhumed after 6 years of burial. Indeed, 81% of the germinants were from taxa with dry fruits such as Kalmia, Luzula, Juncus, and Agrostis. Paucity of Vaccinium seed in the soil column may be due in part to fungal rot and avian predation. Key words: Vaccinium, seed production, seed banks, heaths.

Seed bank size and composition of Betula nana, Vaccinium uliginosum, and Campanula rotundifolia habitats in Svalbard and northern Norway

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 220-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inger Greve Alsos ◽  
Sigmund Spjelkavik ◽  
Torstein Engelskjøn
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Soil Cores ◽  
Betula Nana ◽  
Northern Norway ◽  
Vaccinium Uliginosum ◽  
Campanula Rotundifolia ◽  
Alpine Habitats

The rare thermophilous species in the arctic archipelago of Svalbard are probably relicts from previous warmer periods and may be unable to reproduce sexually under the present climatic conditions. Germination of seeds, seed banks, and vegetative sprouts were studied in one Betula nana L., one Vaccinium uliginosum L., and two Campanula rotundifolia L. habitats in Svalbard. For comparison, one islet and three alpine habitats in northern Norway were studied. In each habitat, 50 soil cores (9.6 cm2) were collected and placed in a phytotron for germination tests. In Svalbard, no germinable seeds or seed bank of the three species were observed, whereas vegetative sprout densities were 83, 1060, and 21–1060/m2 for B. nana, V. uliginosum, and C. rotundifolia, respectively. In northern Norway, germination percentages of the collected seeds were 59, 10–27, and 15–40%, seed bank densities of seedlings 21–2765, 21–187, and 21–374/m2, and vegetative sprouts densities 94–206, 56–674, and 94–711/m2 for B. nana, V. uliginosum, and C. rotundifolia, respectively. Less thermophilous plant species produced germinable seeds in Svalbard, as 1247–5405 seedlings/m2 of 26 species germinated from the soil cores. In comparison, 5322–9626 seedlings/m2 of 43 species germinated in soil cores from the alpine habitats and 3534 seedlings/m2 of 26 species from the islet habitat. The results suggest that the most thermophilous species in Svalbard rarely produce germinable seeds under the present climatic conditions.Key words: arctic–alpine, Betula nana, Campanula rotundifolia, seed bank, sexual reproduction, thermophily, Vaccinium uliginosum.

Can spatial variation and inter-annual variation in precipitation explain the seed density and species richness of the germinable soil seed bank in a tropical dry forest in north-eastern Brazil?

Flora ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 208 (7) ◽  
pp. 445-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Melo dos Santos ◽  
Kleber Andrade da Silva ◽  
Ulysses Paulino de Albuquerque ◽  
Josiene Maria Falcão Fraga dos Santos ◽  
Clarissa Gomes Reis Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Annual Variation ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Seed Density ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
North Eastern
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