Seed bank development after restoration of alluvial grassland via transfer of seed-containing plant material, Riedstadt municipality, Hesse, Germany
Published Source
Schmiede R., Donath T.W. & Otte A. (2009) Seed bank development after the restoration of alluvial grassland via transfer of seed-containing plant material.
Biological Conservation, 142, 404-413 (added by: Showler D.A. 2010).
Background
Since October 2000 a project aiming at floodplain-meadow restoration has been taking place by transfer of seed-containing plant material along the river Rhine floodplain in the vicinity of the city of Riedstadt, southwest Germany. A study was undertaken to elucidate the seed bank composition in restored areas; the seed bank is considered especially important in maintenance of plant communities in these periodically inundated meadows.
Action
Study sites comprised five restoration sites (previously arable fields) where meadows were re-established via transfer of plant material containing seeds, in 2000 and 2001.
In February 2006, seed banks were sampled in five (10 x 10 m) plots per site with and without plant material application (controls left to natural recruitment). Twenty soil cores (10 cm deep, 3 cm diameter) were taken per plot. Cores were divided into: 0-1 cm, 2-5 cm and 5-10 cm sections. Samples were cultivated in a greenhouse. Germinated seedlings were identified.
In June 2006, above-ground vegetation was sampled (species cover and abundances estimated) to assess how this related to seed bank development.
Consequences
Above-ground vegetation and seed bank comprised 196 vascular plant species (96 in both vegetation and seed bank; 69 only in vegetation; and 31 only in the seed bank). Numbers of species in the seed bank ranged from 9 to 35 per plot (average 21.6 ± 0.9; n = 50); toad rush Juncus bufonius (41% of all seeds) dominated. Only five other species, Potentilla supina (11.6%), Chenopodium polyspermum (10.1%), Plantago intermedia (7.7%), Veronica catenata (6.9%) and Rorippasp. (5.9%) contributed more than 5% of all seeds.
The seed bank was still dominated by weedy species typical of former cultivated land and ruderals (5-6 years after plant material addition). However, seed banks did contain seeds of transferred species. On the addition plots, seed density of species added declined significantly with soil depth. Similarity between above-ground vegetation and the seed bank likewise declined with depth. The seed bank in control plots had significantly lower numbers of transferred species.
The study indicates that the build up of a seed bank typical of flood meadows is a long-term process.