Study on Seed Bank Composition and Seedling Emergence Regularity in Placer Iron Ore Soil

Abstract

The mining of placer iron ore greatly influences the surrounding desert grassland. In Agdala Town, Qinghe County, Xinjiang, the soil seed bank is severely damaged, and the utilization and productivity of desert grasslands are almost zero, which seriously affects the safety of the ecological environment and the development of local animal husbandry. It is very important to supplement soil seed banks to enhance the species composition of desert grasslands after ecological restoration. In this study, the effects of the seed bank, species composition, and seed burial depth on the seedling emergence rate at placer iron ore site before and after artificial seed bank replenishment were compared using the germination tray method. The original soil seed bank in the study area contained only four species, which were all annual plants. The dominant species were Salsola ruthenica and Corispermum orientale, and the soil seed bank density was very small. The emergence regularity of the soil seed bank was closely related to water content, and the emergence of annual vegetation was explosive. Seed burial depth affected the emergence rate of perennial grass, and we determined that a burial depth of 0–5 cm was the most effective for emergence. This indicates that seedling emergence of artificially supplemented soil seed bank can be completed within 7 days if the sowing depth is appropriate; sowing depths greater than 5 cm affect seed germination. These findings provide a basis for selecting species to populate large areas.