Abstract

Soil seed banks are potential plant communities. Their temporal and spatial distribution patterns play an important role in future plant community dynamics and structure. Characteristics of the seed bank for Phytolacca americana affect the construction and function of future ecosystems in the invaded area. The ecological balance in the coastal shelterforest ecosystems in the Lingshan Bay National Forest Park has been severely affected by Phytolacca americana. Between2009 and 2014,we studied seed density and distribution pattern of Phyolacca americana in Pinus thunbergii forest,Robinia pseudoacacia forest,mixed Pinus thunbergii and R. pseudoacacia forest,and Amorpha fruticosa forest. We established five transects at 15 m intervals from the forest edge to the interior,set up 40 samples in each transect,and collected soil seed banks from the litter layer,0—2 cm soil layer,and 2—5 cm soil layer. We conducted a control trial in the R. pseudoacacia forest,which was extensively invaded by Phytolacca americana in 2009. We used physical( mowing and root cutting) and chemical( spraying herbicides) methods to control the growth of Phytolacca americana and chose A. fruticosa as the control. We investigated the seed bank in the control area,counted the number of seeds,and performed a germination test in the laboratory. The seeds of Phytolacca americana were found in all four types of forests,and the content of the seed bank decreased from the forest edge to the interior of the forest in the R. pseudoacacia and Pinus thunbergii forests. All the seeds were found within the top 5 cm of the soil layer,within which the lowest number of seeds was found in the 2—5 cm layer. We found( 1174 ± 713) seeds / m2 in one month in the seed bank from the R. pseudoacacia forest in 2009; the number of seeds increased to( 3207 ± 1072) seeds / m2 in October,in 2012 and( 4691 ± 1597) seeds / m2 in January,in2014. In the mixed forest,we found( 388 ± 713),( 1074 ± 713),and( 1767 ± 713) seeds / m2 in the seed bank in 2009,2012,and 2014,respectively. Between 2009 and 2014,less than 1000 seeds / m2 were found in the seed bank from the Pinus thunbergii and A. fruticosa forests. We compared the results of the two seed bank surveys conducted during 2009-2014: in the Pinus thunbergii and A. fruticosa forests,the number of seeds decreased by 46% and 44%,respectively,whereas in the R. pseudoacacia and mixed forests,an increase by 29. 9% and 35. 5%,respectively,was noted. The seed germination rate was less than 10% and decreased from the litter layer to the 2—5cm layer. Seedling regeneration,seed yield,and seed bank in the A. fruticosa forest were significantly lower than those in the forests where physical and chemical control methods were used. Physical and chemical control methods are useful in controlling Phytolacca americana; however,their effects are temporary and the use of biological control seems more practical. Our study showed that the seed bank of Phytolacca americana had an evident spatio- temporal heterogeneity,maintained a high reproductive potential,and can be used to control the invasion of Phytolacca americana by planting A. fruticosa. Our findings can help in the sustainable management of coastal shelter forests.

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