Existence of a soil seed bank under rainforest in New Guinea

Abstract

AbstractA germination experiment indicated the existence of viable buried seed of early secondary species under well‐developed rainforest near Bulolo, Papua New Guinea. The seed bank was dominated numerically by the secondary tree species, Pipturus argenteus, this dominance increasing with depth. The same species was found to germinate most rapidly and to dominate developing plant cover in seed trays.