WOODY SPECIES ESTABLISHMENT FROM A FOREST SOIL SEED BANK IN WEST VIRGINIA

Seasonal variation in seed bank size and species composition of five selected habitat types within the Tembe Elephant Park. South Africa, was investigated. At three-month intervals, soil samples were randomly collected from five different habitat types: a, Licuati forest; b, Licuati thicket; c, a bare or sparsely vegetated zone surrounding the forest edge, referred to as the forest/grassland ecotone; d, grassland; and e, open woodland. Most species in the seed bank flora were either grasses, sedges, or forbs, with hardly any evidence of woody species. The Licuati forest and thicket soils produced the lowest seed densities in all seasons. Licuati forest and grassland seed banks showed a two-fold seasonal variation in size, those of the Licuati thicket and woodland a three-fold variation in size, whereas the forest/grassland ecotone maintained a relatively large seed bank all year round. The woodland seed bank had the highest species richness, whereas the Licuati forest and thicket soils were poor in species. Generally, it was found that the greatest correspondence in species composition was between the Licuati forest and thicket, as well as the forest/grassland ecotone and grassland seed bank floras.

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The Role of Soil Seed Bank in the Early Stages of Plant Recovery After Fire in a Pinus Pinaster Forest in SE Spain

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf9960031 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 31 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

P Ferrandis ◽

JM Herranz ◽

JJ Martínez-Sánchez

Keyword(s):

Seed Bank ◽

Pinus Pinaster ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Se Spain ◽

Plant Recovery ◽

Early Stages ◽

Fire Effect ◽

Species Establishment ◽

Mediterranean Pine

The implication of the viable soil seed bank in the early stages of the plant recovery after fire was studied in a recently burnt Mediterranean pine forest of Pinus pinaster. Seed number contained in soil samples taken inmediately after fire and emergent seedling number recorded in the field during the subsequent year were compared. Although the fire effect was important, available seed density in the soil after fire was relatively high (around 2,200 seeds/m2). A small group of species containing the main shrub species in the unburnt community predominated both in the viable seed bank and field germination after fire. However, these species showed low germination rates in the field, as opposed to species with the lowest presence in the seed bark. The predominance of woody obligate seeders in the seed bark after fire and the high specific correspondence between seed bank and germination in the field, emphasize the important role of the seed bank contained in the soil before fire in the postfire species establishment.

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Artificial slope revegetation using forest soil seed bank in Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park

Journal of the Japanese Society of Revegetation Technology ◽

10.7211/jjsrt.35.473 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 473-478 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Masako KUBO ◽

Daisuke HOSOGI ◽

Masahiko MATSUE

Keyword(s):

Forest Soil ◽

Seed Bank ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

National Government

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Artificial slope revegetation using forest soil seed bank in Bihoku Hillside National Government Park

Journal of the Japanese Society of Revegetation Technology ◽

10.7211/jjsrt.35.542 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 542-546

Author(s):

Masako KUBO ◽

Daisuke HOSOGI ◽

Masahiko MATSUE

Keyword(s):

Forest Soil ◽

Seed Bank ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

National Government

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Effects of woody species encroachment and fire on vegetation and the soil seed bank in dry grasslands of Transylvania

Applied Vegetation Science ◽

10.1111/avsc.12435 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Eugen Görzen ◽

Karina Borisova ◽

Annamária Fenesi ◽

Eszter Ruprecht ◽

Tobias W. Donath

Keyword(s):

Seed Bank ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Woody Species ◽

Dry Grasslands

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Timing of seed dispersal and dormancy, rather than persistent soil seed-banks, control seedling recruitment of woody plants in Neotropical savannas

Seed Science Research ◽

10.1017/s0960258510000413 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 103-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Ana Salazar ◽

Guillermo Goldstein ◽

Augusto C. Franco ◽

Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Seed Dispersal ◽

Species Composition ◽

Seed Bank ◽

Seedling Recruitment ◽

Soil Seed Bank ◽

Woody Species ◽

Seed Banks ◽

Soil Seed Banks ◽

Seedling Bank

AbstractA large fraction of tree species forming persistent soil seed-banks and with dormant seeds are expected to be found in strongly seasonal ecosystems such as Neotropical savannas, where seedling recruitment could be highly variable. In the savannas of Central Brazil, we studied seed characteristics (type of dormancy, longevity and moisture content) of 14 representative woody species differing in seed dispersal season. We also studied the dynamics of soil seed-banks and similarity patterns in woody species composition among seed rain, soil seed-bank, seedling bank and standing vegetation along shallow topographic gradients that differ in canopy cover. Woody species composition of the soil seed-bank largely differed from the standing vegetation, the seed rain and the seedling bank species composition, suggesting low recruitment of woody species from the soil seed-bank. Seeds of the 14 woody species remained viable for less than 16 months in laboratory dry-storage conditions. Of those, most seeds dispersed in the dry season were dormant and exhibited low moisture content, while most seeds dispersed in the wet season were non-dormant and exhibited high moisture content. Longevity of these seeds dispersed in the dry and the wet seasons did not differ significantly. This study shows that both timing of seed dispersal and dormancy appear to control timing of seed germination and seedling recruitment of most Neotropical savanna woody species, which did not form persistent soil seed-banks. This study contributes to the understanding of tree/grass coexistence and tree density variations along topographic gradients in tropical savannas.

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