The Occurrence of Buried Viable Seeds in Soils at Different Elevations and on a Salt Marsh

Abstract

THE investigations conducted at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station on the buried viable seed content in soils of lowland grassland, the cultivated fields of hill farms and natural hill pastures (1, 2) have entailed the study of soil samples for this purpose from numerous habitats and degrees of elevation above sealevel. The highest land which came under investigation was a sheep walk with a range of elevation from 1500 to 1850 ft. The soil from beneath each type of plant association on this land was found to contain viable seeds. It was considered that interesting results would be obtained if soil samples were taken at successive elevations and subjected to buried seed analysis, and in the spring of 1936 an investigation was commenced with this object. The buried viable seed content of a salt marsh was investigated at the same time, and the results are here incorporated. The slopes chosen for the elevation samples were situated on Plynlymon, Cardiganshire and Cader Idris, Merionethshire, while the salt-marsh samples were taken on the Dovey salt marshes in North Cardiganshire. A number of areas representative of the herbage communities were sampled on the mountains and on the marsh. The method of sampling these representative areas and the subsequent treatment of the soil for its seed content have been fully described in a previous paper (2). In brief the method of sampling consisted of taking fifty borings with a borer seven inches long (inside diameter of 14 in.) over an acre of uniform sward, care being taken to exclude contamination from surface seeds. The soils were under investigation for eighteen months.