Seed characteristics play an important role in the colonization and subsequent persistence of species during succession in disturbed sites and thus may contribute to being able to predict restoration success. In the present study, we investigated how various seed characteristics participated in 11 spontaneous successional series running in different mining sites (spoil heaps, extracted sand and sand-gravel pits, extracted peatlands, and stone quarries) in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. Using 1864 samples from 1- to 100-years-old successional stages, we tested whether species optimum along the succession gradient could be predicted using 10 basic species traits connected with diaspores and dispersal. Seed longevity, diaspore mass, endozoochory, and autochory appeared to be the best predictors. The results indicate that seed characteristics can predict to a certain degree spontaneous vegetation succession, i.e., passive restoration, in the mining sites. A screening of species available in the given landscape (regional and local species pools) may help to identify those species which would potentially colonize the disturbed sites. Extensive databases of species traits, nowadays available for the Central European flora, enable such screening.
Questions:Our study examined the relationships between the seed bank and aboveground vegetation in spontaneously revegetated and forestry-reclaimed sand pits.We asked the following questions: (a) What is the composition of the seed bank and above-ground vegetation? (b) How do they develop over the course of succession within the two different restoration approaches? (c) What is the representation of target and undesirable species in the seed bank and above-ground vegetation? and (d) Could the seed bank serve as the source for target vegetation restoration? Location: Třeboň Basin, Czech Republic.Methods: Three successional stages and two types of restoration approaches were considered. Bray-Curtis similarity was used for describing the similarity between above-ground vegetation and the seed bank. Representation of target (dry sandy grassland), desirable (woodland, wetland, mesic grassland) and undesirable (synanthropic) species was assessed. Results:The type of restoration approach exhibited stronger effects on the aboveground vegetation than on the seed bank. The similarity between the seed bank and above-ground vegetation decreased during succession. Undesirable species formed the dominant species group in the seed bank regardless of successional stage and the type of restoration approach. Target species were represented especially in the above-ground vegetation of young successional stages. Only half of the number of target species appeared in the seed bank in comparison to above-ground vegetation and their number further rapidly decreased in older stages of succession. Conclusions:The result showed that the seed bank of sand pits could be considered as a potential resource mainly for synanthropic species, but it cannot serve as the only source for the eventual restoration of the target vegetation of an open sandy dry grassland after potential clearing, once it becomes overgrown by forest.Consequently, maintaining young successional stages is desirable if we wish to support species typical of dry sandy grassland.
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