Assessment of an abandoned grassland community and the soil seed bank of a hilly relief

Self Cite

Soil erosion by water is a serious environmental problem. It is very important to form agrophytocenosis, which is productive on hilly terrain and could effectively protect the soil from erosion. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of a hilly relief on the changes of seeds in a soil of pre-erosion cereal-grass crop rotation. The study included different parts of the hill (summit, midslope, and footslope). The southern exposition slope’s soil was slightly eroded Eutric Retisol (loamic) (RT-eu.lo), and the steepness of the slope was 9–11°. The seed bank was investigated at the depths of 0–5 and 5–15 cm. The number of seeds in the soil seed bank during autumn was 20.4% higher than in the spring. The highest number of seeds in the autumn was determined on the summit (40.6 thousand seeds m–2). The highest count during the spring was determined on the midslope of the hill (36.4 thousand seeds m–2). In general, in the soil seed bank of the midslope of the hill, the number of seeds was by 7.8% and 42.4% higher compared to the summit and footslope parts. The highest seed reserve was found in the soil at a 0–5 cm depth (59.4% of the total seed number).

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Seed Bank in a Pre-Erosion Cereal-Grass Crop Rotation

Skuodienė

Matyžiūtė²

2022

Self Cite

“…Dense turf formed in the grassland prevents the seeds from moving into the soil. The greatest part in the seed bank of permanent grassland was composed of weed seeds which are typical for arable fields, and which are viable for many years [ 29 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2020, during the plant vegetation period, there were 57 days of heavy rain with ≥10 mm of precipitation per day. Permanent grassland was a constant protection of the hill slope soil from erosion [ 29 ]. Forming the grassland, the slopes of the hill were protected from water flows [ 32 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Seed Banks and Their Relation to Soil Properties in Hilly Landscapes

Skuodienė,

Matyžiūtė,

Šiaudinis

2023

Self Cite

For the prevention of hilly soils from erosion, a smart selection of crop rotations is very important. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different agrophytocenoses on seed numbers in the soil runoff sediments and soil seed banks’ relations to soil properties in hilly landscapes. This study analyzes long-term monitoring data from three different agrophytocenoses (permanent grassland, cereal–grass crop rotation and crop rotation with a row crop) set up on slopes of 9–11° steepness with collectors for soil and water installed. The soil of the southern exposition slope was a slightly eroded Eutric Retisol. In the soil of permanent grassland, the number of seeds was 4036 seeds m−2, 6.0 and 3.2 times smaller compared to cereal–grass crop rotation and crop rotation with a row crop. The seeds found in the soil runoff sediments composed, on average, 0.9% of the soil seed bank, and the number of seeds depended on the number of days with heavy precipitation during the plant vegetation period, as well as on the plant communities grown in a particular rotation. Correlation analysis showed the seed numbers’ dependence on the soil’s chemical and physical properties. Hill slopes were not affected by water erosion, when agrophytocenoses were based on perennial grassland and also cereal–grass crop rotation, where reduced soil tillage was applied.

Seed Bank Community under Different-Intensity Agrophytocenoses on Hilly Terrain in Lithuania

Skuodienė

Matyžiūtė

Aleinikovienė

et al. 2023

On the summit of a hill with a lack of humidity, and in usually stronger eroded midslope parts, crops thin out. Changing ecological conditions change the soil seed bank as well. The aim of this study was to examine changes in the seed bank size and number of species and the influence of seed surface characteristics on their spread in different-intensity agrophytocenoses under hilly relief conditions. This study included different parts of the hill (summit, midslope and footslope) in Lithuania. The southern exposition slope’s soil was slightly eroded Eutric Retisol (loamic). In spring and autumn, the seed bank was investigated at depths of 0–5 and 5–15 cm. Irrespective of the season, in the soil of permanent grassland, the seed number was 6.8 and 3.4 times smaller compared to those of cereal–grass crop rotation and crop rotation with black fallow. The highest number of seed species was determined in the footslope of the hill. Seeds with rough surfaces dominated on all parts of the hill, but the highest amount (on the average 69.6%) was determined on the summit of the hill. In autumn, a strong correlation was found between the total seed number and soil microbial carbon biomass (r = 0.841–0.922).