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84 results for “seed banks”

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Data from: Fate of the soil seed bank of giant ragweed and its significance in preventing and controlling its invasion in grasslands

Pollen of giant ragweed (GR), an annual non-native invasive weed, causes serious respiratory allergies in some humans and animals. Chemical control of GR in grassland can produce toxic side effects in herbs and livestock. This paper discusses methods used to prevent infestation and to control this species by analyzing the soil seed bank (SSB) and limiting the invasiveness of GR. By studying GR distributed in grassland of the Yili Valley, Xinjiang, China, this paper compares the spatial and temporal changes of seed density along with seed germination, dormancy, and death at different times after invasion and in different soil layers. The study analyzed population characteristics over time, seed fate, and control methods for this species with the goal of reducing the of SSB density of GR. The SSB of GR in grassland occurs mainly in the 0–5 cm soil layer but also to depths of 15 cm. Seed density in the SSB decreased by 68.1% to 82.01% from the seed maturity period to the early non-fertile period. >98.7% of the seeds rotten, eaten, germinated, dispersed or died within one year after being produced. The seed germination rate of the SBB decreased with an increasing number of years after invasion. When stored for 1 or 4 years, seed germination rates fell by 40%, during which time seed mortality increased by almost 40%. When GR was completely eradicated for 2 consecutive years, the SSB and population densities decreased by >99%. The vast majority of GR seeds germinated or died within one year; long term dry storage also significantly decreased the germination rate. Newly produced seeds are the main source of seeds in the SSB; seeds have a strong ability to germinate. Therefore, thoroughly eradicating GR plants for several years before the seeds can mature provides an effective control method in grasslands.

opencc-zeroApr 2020View details →

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Small seed bank in grasslands and tree plantations in former grassland sites in the South Brazilian highlands

The soil seed bank can be an important source for vegetation regeneration, and data on the similarity between aboveground vegetation and the seed bank can provide information about successional pathways after disturbances or land-use change. We conducted this study in natural grasslands in the subtropical highland region in southern Brazil. We evaluated the effect of silviculture on richness, density, and composition of the seed bank at former grassland sites converted to pine plantations 25 years ago. We worked at six grassland sites and three pine plantation sites and used the seedling emergence method. Seed bank density and richness in grasslands was lower than those reported in similar environments in other regions. Species richness and density varied considerably within each vegetation type therefore, richness and density were not statistically significant, while composition varied among vegetation types. In terms of species, the pine plantation seed bank was a small subset of the grassland seed bank. Seeds of typical grassland species were missing in the pine plantation, but also had only low abundances in the grassland, and similarity of seed bank and vegetation was low (less than 20%). The low seed density found in this study, including in grasslands areas, indicates that regeneration of species from the soil seed bank likely is of a limited role for the maintenance of plant populations after disturbances in this system. Our data further suggest that natural regeneration after tree planting in grasslands is reduced due to seed limitation.

opencc-zeroMar 2020View details →

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Figure 1 in Differences in the soil seed bank of a mining area and its surroundings: a case study inserted in the Cerrado domain

Figure 1. Location of Vazante city and study area, northwest of Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

opencc-by-4.0Jul 2021View details →

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Data from: A century of genetic variation inferred from a persistent soil-stored seed bank

Stratigraphic accretion of dormant propagules in soil can result in natural archives useful for studying ecological and evolutionary responses to environmental change. Few attempts have been made, however, to use soil-stored seed banks as natural archives, in part because of concerns over non-random attrition and mixed stratification. Here we examine the persistent seed bank of Schoenoplectus americanus, a foundational brackish marsh sedge, to determine whether it can serve as a resource for reconstructing historical records of demographic and population genetic variation. After assembling profiles of the seed bank from radionuclide dated soil cores, we germinated seeds to 'resurrect' cohorts spanning the 20th century. Using microsatellite markers, we assessed genetic diversity and differentiation among depth cohorts, drawing comparisons to extant plants at the study site and in nearby and more distant marshes. We found that seed density peaked at intermediate soil depths. We also detected genotypic differences among cohorts as well as between cohorts and extant plants. Genetic diversity did not decline with depth, indicating that the observed pattern of differentiation is not due to attrition. Patterns of differentiation within and among extant marshes also suggest that local populations persist as aggregates of small clones, likely reflecting repeated seedling recruitment and low immigration from admixed regional gene pools. These findings indicate that persistent and stratified soil-stored seed banks merit further consideration as resources for reconstructing decadal-to-century long records that can lend insight into the tempo and nature of ecological and evolutionary processes that shape populations over time.

opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

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Data from: Water level drawdown induces a legacy effect on the seed bank and retains sediment chemistry in a eutrophic clay wetland

The lack of extreme water level fluctuations in managed, non-peat forming wetland ecosystems can result in decreased productivity through the loss of heterogeneity of these ecosystems. Stochastic disruption, such as a water level drawdown, can effectively reverse this effect and return the wetland to a more productive state, associated with higher biodiversity through new vegetation development. Yet, aside from the effect on vegetation dynamics, little is known about longer-term effects (30 years) of a water level drawdown, hereafter referred to as legacy effects, and how this may impact future water level drawdowns. Here, we aim to unravel the legacy effects of a water level drawdown, stand alone and along a water level gradient, on seed bank properties and nutrient availability in a eutrophic clay wetland. To identify these, we studied the hydrologically managed nature reserve Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands. Here, one section was subjected to a multi-year water level drawdown and another section was kept inundated. We determined seed bank properties in both areas, spatially and along a soil elevation gradient (20 cm). Nutrient availability was measured by taking sediment samples along the water level gradient and through experimental manipulation of the water level in an indoor mesocosm experiment. Germination was higher in locations with a water level drawdown history, especially at relatively high elevations. Additionally, the proportion of pioneer species in the seed bank was higher in the water level drawdown area. Overall, nutrient concentrations were higher compared to other systems. Nutrient availability was higher in the inundated area and did not respond to the water level gradient. We conclude that 30 years after an induced water level drawdown there is no depletion of nutrients, while we still observe a legacy effect in the number of viable seeds in the seed bank.

opencc-zeroDec 2023View details →

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European soil seed bank communities across a climate and land-cover gradient

This is the data set used for the publication Buffering effects of soil seed banks on plant community composition in response to land use and climate, published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography. Aim. Climate and land use are key determinants of biodiversity, with past and ongoing changes posing serious threats to global ecosystems. Unlike most other organism groups, plant species can possess dormant life-history stages such as soil seed banks, which may help plant communities to resist or at least postpone the detrimental impact of global changes. This study investigates the potential for soil seed banks to achieve this. Location. Europe Time period. 1978 – 2014 Major taxa studied. Flowering plants Methods. Using a space-for-time/warming approach, we study plant species richness and composition in the herb layer and the soil seed bank in 2796 community plots from 54 datasets in managed grasslands, forests and intermediate, successional habitats across a climate gradient. Results. Soil seed banks held more species than the herb layer, being compositionally similar across habitats. Species richness was lower in forests and successional habitats compared to grasslands, with annual temperature range more important than mean annual temperature for determining richness. Climate and land use effects were generally less pronounced when plant community richness included seed bank species richness, while there was no clear effect of land use and climate on compositional similarity between the seed bank and the herb layer. Main conclusions. High seed bank diversity and compositional similarity between the herb layer and seed bank plant communities may provide a potentially important functional buffer against the impact of ongoing environmental changes on plant communities. This capacity could, however, be threatened by climate warming. Dormant life-history stages can therefore be important sources of diversity in changing environments, potentially underpinning already observed time-lags in plant community responses to global change. However, as soil seed banks themselves appear, albeit less, vulnerable to the same changes, their potential to buffer change can only be temporary, and major community shifts may still be expected.

opencc-zeroSep 2021View details →

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Differential Role of a persistent Seed Bank for genetic Variation in early vs. late successional Stages

The file contains data of AFLP analyses of the perennial plant Viola elatior, collected in populations in Germany and the Czech Republic. The first sheet contains a read-me describing the data that reads as follows: "Presence/absence matrix (1/0) of AFLP markers. The first column provides the sample ID (R - Upper Rhine region; T - Thaya/Morava region; M - meadow habitat; W - woodland habitat; sb - seedbank sample) and second and third column provides coordinates used for analyses of small-scale spatial genetic structure. Note that for SB cohorts, only samples originating from soil pools with a maximum distance of 4 m between the two soil sampling sites (cf. SB sampling strategy in M&M) were considered, using the corresponding midpoint coordinates, respectively. The first row provides the marker ID (selective primer combination + fragment size in bp). Selective Primer Combinations: F1 - FAM_AAC-CTA; F2 - FAM_ACT-CAA; V1 - VIC_ACA-CAA; V2 - VIC_ACA-CTC; N1 - NED_AAG-CAC; N2 - NED_AAG-CTC; P1 - PET_AGC-CAA; P2 - PET_AGG-CTC". We used the data to compare genetic variation of aboveground and seed bank cohorts in 15 populations of the partially cleistogamous Viola elatior in two contrasting early and late successional habitats characterized by strong differences in light-availability and declining population size. Using AFLP markers, we found significantly higher aboveground than seed bank genetic diversity in early successional meadow but not in late successional woodland habitats.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2018View details →

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Long-term seed bank persistence in Arctomecon californica

Seed banks, the collection of viable seeds in the soil, are particularly important determinants of population survival in highly variable environments. Predictions of increased stochasticity in the amount and timing of precipitation in desert environments raise the question of how seed banks of desert species will respond to climate change, and ultimately, whether these species will persist. Here, we present data from our long-term studies of germination requirements and seed bank dynamics in a rare desert gypsophile perennial, Arctomecon californica (Las Vegas bearpoppy). Arctomecon californica is a relatively short-lived plant that recruits from seed in sequences of unusually favorable years. We used germination experiments, an in situ seed bank study, and a 15-year field seed retrieval study to examine factors affecting seed bank persistence. In the germination study, a majority of seeds remained dormant, despite a wide variety of treatments, suggesting that a large proportion of the seed dispersed each year has cue-nonresponsive dormancy. Our seed bank study showed that seed density varied widely between sites, among transects, and among samples within a transect. The patchiness of seeds in the soil highlights the importance of protecting large areas where A. californica populations are known to have existed in the past. The seed retrieval study provided strong evidence that this species has a long-lived seed bank in which only a small fraction of seeds (roughly 5%) become nondormant each year, allowing seed banks of this species to last up to 20 years without a seed production event. Whether this impressive life history strategy can maintain the species in the face of climate change depends on the future frequency of the well-timed precipitation that allows for establishment of new cohorts of adult plants.

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

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Bacteria-phage coevolution with a seed bank

Dormancy is an adaptation to living in fluctuating environments. It allows individuals to enter a reversible state of reduced metabolic activity when challenged by unfavorable conditions. Dormancy can also influence species interactions by providing organisms with a refuge from predators and parasites. Here we test the hypothesis that, by generating a seed bank of protected individuals, dormancy can modify the patterns and processes of antagonistic coevolution. We conducted a factorially designed experiment where we passaged a bacterial host (Bacillus subtilis) and its phage (SPO1) in the presence versus absence of a seed bank consisting of dormant endospores. Owing in part to the inability of phages to attach to spores, seed banks stabilized population dynamics and resulted in minimum host densities that were 30-fold higher compared to bacteria that were unable to engage in dormancy. By supplying a refuge to phage-sensitive strains, we show that seed banks retained phenotypic diversity that was otherwise lost to selection. Dormancy also stored genetic diversity. After characterizing allelic variation with pooled population sequencing, we found that seed banks retained twice as many host genes with mutations, whether phages were present or not. Based on mutational trajectories over the course of the experiment, we demonstrate that seed banks can dampen bacteria-phage coevolution. Not only does dormancy create structure and memory that buffers populations against environmental fluctuations, it also modifies species interactions in ways that can feed back onto the eco-evolutionary dynamics of microbial communities.

opencc-by-4.0May 2023View details →

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Data from: Can the soil seed bank of Rumex obtusifolius in productive grasslands be explained by management and soil properties?

Rumex obtusifolius is a problematic weed in temperate grasslands worldwide as it decreases yield and nutritional value of forage. Because the species can recruit from the seed bank, we determined the effect of management and soil properties on the soil seed bank of R. obtusifolius in intensively managed, permanent grasslands in Switzerland (CH), Slovenia (SI), and United Kingdom (UK). Following a paired case-control design, soil cores were taken from the topsoil of grassland with a high density of R. obtusifolius plants (cases) and from nearby parcels with very low R. obtusifolius density (controls). Data on grassland management, soil nutrients, pH, soil texture, and density of R. obtusifolius plants were also collected. Seeds in the soil were germinated under optimal conditions in a glasshouse. The number of germinated seeds of R. obtusifolius in case parcels was 866 ±152 m-2 (CH, mean ±SE), 628 ±183 m-2 (SI), and 752 ±183 m-2 (UK), with no significant difference among countries. Densities in individual case parcels ranged from 0 up to approximately 3000 seeds m-2 (each country). Control parcels had significantly fewer seeds, with a mean of 51 ±18, 75 ±52, and 98 ±52 seeds m-2 in CH, SI, and UK, respectively, and a range between 0 and up to 1000 seeds m-2. Across countries, variables explaining variation in the soil seed bank of R. obtusifolius in case parcels were soil pH (negative relation), silt content (negative), land-use intensity (negative), and aboveground R. obtusifolius plant density (positive). Because a large soil seed bank can sustain grassland infestation with R. obtusifolius, management strategies to control the species should target the reduction in the density of mature plants, prevention of the species' seed production and dispersal, as well as the regulation of the soil pH to a range optimal for forage production.

opencc-zeroJun 2023View details →

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Data from: Microclimate and seed bank under Pithecellobium keyense (Fabaceae) in a coastal scrubland

This study was conducted on a sandy beach of Yucatán, Mexico. We collected soil samples and measured microclimatic variables under 30 adult individuals of the shrub Pithecellobium keyense at three different positions under the canopy of every studied individual: "Open" or completely sunny, "Half shaded", placed at the border of the canopy and "Fully shaded" placed under the canopy, next to the stem of the shrub. Seeds in the soil samples were collected, counted and tested for viablity. The shade of Pithecellobium keyense buffers for extreme values of environmental variables such as noon temperature, PPFD (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density) and air relative humidity, this effect is stronger in the dry season. During the dry season, the probability of seed viability decreased with increasing PPFD. During the rainy season, the probability of seed viability was larger in the Half shade position and lower in Full shade and in the Open (high light) positions. The seed bank was larger during the dry season than during the rainy season.

opencc-zeroAug 2023View details →

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