Soil Seed Bank and Aboveground Vegetation in Grazing Lands of Southern Marmara, Turkey

Abstract

The composition and conservation of plant communities is greatly influenced by the soil seed bank. Information on the soil seed banks and the remaining vegetation in these ecosystems is crucial for guiding the restoration efforts. This study examines the size, species richness, diversity, uniformity, and similarity of soil seed banks and aboveground vegetation in 6 different grazing lands including coastal pasture, reseeded pasture, artificial pasture, lowland shrubland, ungrazed pasture, and hillside shrubland. Forty-eight soil samples were taken by cores with a diameter and depth of 10 cm from each of grazing lands in August of 2007. A vegetation survey was conducted using a 0.5 x 0.5-m quadrant in both the spring and fall. Eighty species were observed in soil seed banks and aboveground vegetation. . The most common species in seed banks were annual and perennial grasses in reseeded pasture, annual forbs in artificial pasture and hillside shrubland, and perennial forbs in low shrubland and ungrazed pasture. Species richness, diversity, and uniformity in seed banks were highest in lowland shrubland and lowest in artificial pasture. The seed bank and aboveground vegetation were similar in ungrazed pasture, coastal pasture, reseeded pasture, low shrubland, hillside shrubland and artificial pasture. Shrublands play an important role in species richness and the number of germinated seeds from seed banks of grazing lands in southern Marmara. The results showed that reseeding or a decrease in grazing pressure may improve the condition of grazing lands.

Soil seed bank characteristics in relation to different shrub species in semiarid regions

“…Forbs were the most abundant plants in the SSB composition. In accordance with the results of our study, Bertiller & Ares (2011), Parlak, Gokkus, & Demiray (2011), and Tessema, de Boer, Baars, & Prins (2012 reported that forbs had the highest number of species in SSB. Comparing with the grasses, the higher number of forbs in the AGV might be a reason for increasing the seeds of these species in the SSB.…”

Soil Seed Bank Compatibility with Aboveground Plants under Different Topographical Parameters in The Zawita Mountains Forest

“…The samples were taken by hammering a square metal box frame 40 cm×40 cm into the soil at depth (0-10 cm) (Ghermandi, 2018). The samples of soil seed bank were eliminated from plant fragments and stones and stored in a laboratory room which was dark, cold store (1°C) for 3 months (Özaslan Parlak et al, 2011).…”