Role of local seed bank in recovery of loess grasslands
Abstract
Local seed banks have an important role in recover of former diversity in degraded, and fragmented grasslands. We studied the vegetation and seed bank of a semi-natural Salvio-Festucetum grassland and a grazed and then abandoned Cynodonti-Poëtum loess pasture. The percentage cover of vascular plant species was recorded in twelve, 1 m2 plots in June, 2008. Soil samples were taken in the Spring, 2009, then their seed banks were investigated by greenhouse germination method, after soil concentration. We asked the following questions: (1) Which characteristic species possess detectably dense seed banks? (2) How different is the seed bank composition of the semi-natural grassland and the degraded loess pasture? (3) Can a restoration of degraded loess grasslands be based on the soil seed bank? In total 94 species were detected in vegetation and seed banks. In the aboveground vegetation of the degraded loess pasture there was low species richness (a mean of 10.2 species/m2) and the vegetation was dominated by Festuca rupicola (a mean cover of 45%). We detected significantly higher species richness in the natural loess grassland (t-test; P < 0.001, mean, 27 species/m2). The mean densities of seed banks were similar in both grassland types (22,800 and 20,200 seeds/m2, respectively). Regardless to grassland type the seed bank was characterised mostly by common herb species (Hypericum perforatum 6,200 seeds/m2, Galium verum 4,270 seeds/m2, Achillea collina 2,100 seeds/m2) and graminoids (Poa angustifola 1,060 seed/m2, Carex stenopylla and C. praecox 2,480 seeds/m2). Out of weeds only Veronica persica (1,215 seeds/m2) and Conyza canadensis (6,760 seeds/m2) possessed dense seed banks. Most of the characteristic species possessed only sparse seed banks (e.g. Salvia austriaca, S. nemorosa, Pimpinella saxifraga). Our results suggest that in recovery of characteristic forbs of loess grasslands the seed bank can have only a limited role.
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