Abstract
ABSTRACT The current study aims to characterize the soil seed banks in a forest under restoration and in a seasonal semideciduous forest remnant, as well as to quantitatively and qualitatively compare them in order to evaluate the seed bank potential to influence the restoration process. In total, 60 samples of soil seed banks were collected in two adjacent forests (30 in a 2.18-ha forest undergoing restoration process based on the planting of seedlings belonging to different tree species, after the forest was subjected to bauxite mining activity; and 30 in a 5.30-ha preserved forest fragment). The soil seed bank of the forest undergoing restoration recorded higher density of emerged seedlings than that of the reference ecosystem. Although the shrub-tree species in the investigated forests lacked floristic similarity, the highly similar dispersal syndrome distribution and the successional category of shrub-tree species in them have indicated that both forests underwent ecological processes. Therefore, the restoration process implemented in the mined area has successfully recovered the soil seed bank after a few years.
Highlights
Forest restoration processes create sustainable plant communities that represent the original composition and diversity of degraded areas (Jefferson, 2004; Courtney et al, 2009)
The current study aims to characterize the soil seed banks in a forest under restoration and in a seasonal semideciduous forest remnant, as well as to quantitatively and qualitatively compare them in order to evaluate the seed bank potential to influence the restoration process
60 samples of soil seed banks were collected in two adjacent forests (30 in a 2.18-ha forest undergoing restoration process based on the planting of seedlings belonging to different tree species, after the forest was subjected to bauxite mining activity; and 30 in a 5.30-ha preserved forest fragment)
Summary
Forest restoration processes create sustainable plant communities that represent the original composition and diversity of degraded areas (Jefferson, 2004; Courtney et al, 2009). The ecosystem restoration goal lies on promoting and expanding the possibility of implementing ecological restoration and natural succession processes, as well as on enhancing biodiversity and stability in a given region (Tres et al, 2007; Martins, 2016). Soil seed banks play a key role in recovering different ecosystems and in preserving their resilience (Mackenzie & Naeth, 2010). The assessment of the density and richness of seed banks from different plant species is essential to support the decision making about the most appropriate restoration techniques to be adopted in restoration projects (Martins, 2016). Herbs and grasses prevailed in the soil seed bank of degraded hillslopes in Southern Wello (Ethiopia), these plant species should not be ignored, since they can help covering degraded soils and reducing soil erosion (Kebrom & Bekele, 2000)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
