Edaphic patchiness influences grassland regeneration from the soil seed bank in mountain grasslands of central Argentina

GUILLERMO FUNES, SANDRA BASCONCELO, SANDRA DÍAZ AND MARCELO CABIDO

AUSTRAL ECOLOGY

Blackwell Science Asia

Lugar: Carlton, Victoria; Año: 2001 vol. 26 p. 205 - 212

1442-9985

Abstract   We studied the soil seed banks in the main natural vegetation patches that make up mountain grasslands on granite substrate in central Argentina: moist swards, tall-tussock grasslands and stony grasslands. Ten compound soil samples from each community at two soil depths (0-5cm and 5-10 cm) were taken. The density of soil seed banks was highest in moist swards, intermediate in stony grasslands, and lowest in tall-tussock grasslands. Low similarity between the established vegetation and total soil seed bank were found in tall-tussock grasslands and stony grasslands, but similarity was higher in swards. In all three communities the seed bank was most frequently transient. Short-term persistent and long-term persistent seed banks were less frequent. Regeneration from the seed banks after disturbance is expected to differ among communities developed on different edaphic patches. On the basis of the density and longevity of the soil seed banks and similarity with the established vegetation, potential for in situ regeneration should be lower in tall-tussock grasslands, intermediate in stony grasslands, and higher in moist swards.     Keywords: community regeneration, granite grasslands, persistent seed banks, spatial heterogeneity, transient seed banks