Species composition of soil seed banks of Allegheny Plateau riparian forests

The seedling emergence method was used to identify the species and growth form composition of soil seed banks along a range of geomorphic surfaces at seven riparian study sites in the nonglaciated Allegheny Plateau Physiographic Province of northwestern Pennsylvania. A total of 58 vascular plant spe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 1998-07, Vol.125 (3), p.199-215
Main Authors: Hanlon, T.J. (Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA.), Williams, C.E, Moriarity, W.J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
BANCO DE SEMILLAS DEL SUELO
BIODIVERSIDAD
BIODIVERSITE
BIODIVERSITY
BOSQUES
Coniferous forests
COURS D'EAU
CURSOS DE AGUA
Floodplains
Forest soils
FORESTS
FORET
PENNSYLVANIA
PENNSYLVANIE
Plants
Riparian forests
Riparian soils
RIVERS
Seed banks
SOIL SEED BANKS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
STOCK SEMENCIER DU SOL
Vegetation
Wetlands
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Summary:The seedling emergence method was used to identify the species and growth form composition of soil seed banks along a range of geomorphic surfaces at seven riparian study sites in the nonglaciated Allegheny Plateau Physiographic Province of northwestern Pennsylvania. A total of 58 vascular plant species emerged from soil seed bank samples with an average of 13.1 (± 1.6 SE) species recorded across geomorphic surfaces. The extant herbaceous layer vegetation (all vascular plant species ≤ 1 m in height) was more species-rich (137 species) than the seed bank flora with an average of 25.2 (± 2.8 SE) species. The number of plant species that emerged from soil seed bank samples varied considerably and ranged from 5 species in a floodplain coniferous forest to 34 species in a backwater slough habitat. Non-woody, perennial species dominated both the seed bank and extant floras. Species richness in both the soil seed bank and the extant vegetation did not vary significantly across site inundation classes (low, moderate, frequent inundation). The low overall similarity between species composition of the soil seed bank and the extant vegetation suggests that only a subset of the herbaceous layer species that occur in Allegheny Plateau riparian forests relies on the seed bank as a mechanism for population regeneration and maintenance.
ISSN:1095-5674
1940-0616
DOI:10.2307/2997218